The goal of this suggestion is not to upgrade bad runewords to the point that they would change any of the old classic meta pve or pvp builds, but rather upgrade them so they are at least USEFUL along the path to achieving the old styled strong setups. So these suggestions would not alter the ultimate flow of the end-game, but enhance the experience while getting there. Because let’s face it, most of the runewords were actually completely useless.
So I’ll go right down the list of runewords, commenting on all of them:
v1.10 runewords
Beast - This has always been useful and was commonly used on fun meme builds in pvp, no need for changes.
Bramble - Add 25% Open Wounds to this runeword and Poison Dagger Necros, Poison Based Javazons become viable memes to mess around on. As it is now, this runeword is useless.
Breath Of The Dying - Makes for the most powerful melee weapons in the game, right alongside of Grief, when socketed into ethereal weapons. No need for changes.
Call To Arms - No need for changes.
Chains Of Honor - Although I’d like to see a bit more damage out of it, there is no real need for change here.
Chaos - No need for changes, this is already the bread & butter of Assassin builds.
Crescent Moon - Raise the Static Field to 15% rather than 7%, and this runeword becomes functional for use.
Delirium - The MF could afford to go from 25% to 50% or more, seeing as how this is a meme runeword that no one uses ^^
Doom - This is already strong. No need for change.
Duress - Raise its vs. all resistance to 50% and add 25% damage reduction, and this runeword would be fit to use on mercs until a good Fortitude or w/e could be built.
Enigma - This is the staple runeword of Diablo 2. Do not change anything about it.
Eternity - Its attributes are not bad, but the runes required to make this are way too high for the strength of this runeword. The runes required are Amn + Ber + Ist + Sol + Sur. For this price, a person may as well hold out for EBOTD. The Ber and Ist and Sur should be replaced with more mid range runes required to build this runeword, like Dol. Then Eternity would become a viable weapon to use as a get me by.
Exile - Bread & Butter of torch farmers. It needs no changing.
Famine - Another runeword that has decent attributes but too high of runes required to make it. It requires Fal + Ohm + Ort + Jah and no one is going to build this before transmuting those HRs into an Enigma and using it or selling it. Those HRs used in a Famine become lost wealth because the Famine is worth nothing. Replace the Ohm and Jah with more mid range runes and Famine would be a useful item as a get me by option while playing through.
Gloom - This runeword is 110% useless. It needs a complete rework.
Hand Of Justice - Turn the Blaze when level up into Blaze when struck, and turn the Meteor on death into Meteor on strike, then this runeword would be viable to use. As of now it is worthless.
Heart Of The Oak - Needs no changing. This is an excellent runeword.
Kingslayer - As of now it is a 4 socket runeword for swords/axes only. It should be a 3 socket runeword for any weapon, and it would see use, probably particularly for claws.
Passion - Already a popular meme runeword for Enchant Sorcs to use Zeal. Needs no changing.
Prudence - Absolutely useless stats for the Mal rune required. The lvl req is too high on this armor for the stats provided. Replace the Mal rune with something low like a Thul, and this 2 socket armor runeword could see use in norm and nightmare difficulties.
Sanctuary - Add +2 skills to this shield runeword and it could see use as a defensive option in place of Spirit.
Splendor - This runeword is fine and already sees good use in low to mid levels.
Stone - Turn the Clay Golem and Boulder charges into procs that work on strike, then this runeword would be fun to use in low to mid levels.
Wind - The level 9 Tornado on strike should be upgraded to a level 20 or higher Tornado on strike, seeing as how this runeword requires a Sur rune. The stats on this runeword relatively bad in general and it could use some kind of an extra umph to make it viable at all.
Brand - The only use for this runeword was to put it on mercs so when they get hit, it casts amp. Turn the 35% amp when hit by an enemy, into 10% amp when striking enemies, and this runeword would see much more viable & intuitive use on rogues and even amazons, before they can get a hold of Windforce or Faith.
Death - Hel + El + Vex + Ort + Gul. Replace that Vex with something less valuable and this runeword would actually see use outside of the rare Smiter who tries to design an alternative build around it.
Destruction - Another case where the runes required are more valuable than the runeword they make. Vex + Lo + Ber + Jah + Ko is required for this runeword. This is INSANE for how bad this runeword is ^^ This runeword needs to look more like Dol + Thul + Amn + Pul + maybe Um, and then it could see use at mid level play.
Dragon - Sur + Lo + Sol, replace that Sur & Lo for mid range runes. The stats on this shield are just bad to consume a Sur & Lo. With mid range runes, it could see get me by use.
Dream - Already sees meme use for Aura Paly. No need to change.
Edge - No one uses this bow at all, despite the low runes required. It needs a +100% hard damage bonus and it would probably see use alongside of things like Skystrike or Kuko when first entering nightmare.
Faith - Bowazon staple, no need to change anything.
Fortitude - No need to change anything at all.
Grief - Perfect the way it is.
Harmony - This needs to become to a 3 socket runeword rather than a 4 socket. This runeword bow actually has pretty good stats but it never sees use for one glaring error that was made when it was designed. It requires a 4 socket missile weapon which can only be found in the much higher tiers of socketed weapons, and by the time you find one of those, you’re already in the world of using Buriza or Goldstrike, on your way to Windforce or better. If this runeword Tir + Ith + Sol + Ko was made to be Tir + Ith + Sol or something like that, it would actually see a lot of use in nightmare walk through. And believe me, Bowazons struggle with finding damage in walk throughs around this point. This is one change that really should be made.
Ice - Another issue with runes required that are too high in value to be used for a Frost Maiden Bowa setup: Amn + Shael + Jah + Lo. Again, people are going to save Jah and Lo for Enigmas and Fortitudes, ect ect. Ice is only useful for low end budget setup Amas who want to run Frost Maiden, which isn’t even an ideal end-game setup by any means. The Jah and Lo need to be replaced with lower runes and this runeword would see use.
Infinity - It’s fine the way it is. Needs no changing.
Insight - This is a perfect example of a “get me by” as the runes are low and it does its job until better options appear. It needs no changing.
Last Wish - This is actually a useful runeword on the right setup, but boy oh boy is it inordinately expensive for no reason at all when Grief exists. It requires: Jah + Mal + Jah + Sur + Jah + Ber. I mean… come on. Lower these runes. Other than that, it needs no changing.
Lawbringer - This runeword is terrible. It straight up needs +IAS and +Enhanced Damage, and it might see use.
Oath - Another case where by the time a person gets the runes needed to make this mid-grade runeword, other better options are popping up. It needs the runes required to be lower than what they are now.
Obediance - The way this is designed, it has absolutely no purpose on any build or merc that could possibly be made. This one needs a complete overhaul from the ground up.
Phoenix - This is fine and has always been useful. It should stay the same.
Pride - This has always been a meta end game selection for mercs, it needs no changing.
Rift - It requires: Hel + Ko + Lem + Gul but it’s a terrible runeword. This runeword not only needs to become 3 socket but the runes required should actually be lowered as well. Then it may see use as a get me by.
Spirit - Needs no changing.
Voice Of Reason - Another one that just has wonky design from the ground up and is completely useless even if it only required 1 Tir rune to make. It needs a complete overhaul.
Wrath - Another bow runeword that is terrible that for some reason not only requires 4 sockets, but also requires grossly overvalued runes to make: Pul + Lum + Ber + Mal. This needs to turn into a 3 socket runeword and look more like Ko + Dol + Amn, and it may see use at mid levels when starting nightmare.
v1.11s
Bone - Requires Sol + Um + Um. This runeword is great for Iron Golems or even mercs, but the double Um creation cost isn’t worth it. This runeword should look more like Sol + Ith + Amn, then it would find viable use as an expendable investment.
Enlightenment - By the time you can build/wear this armor, Vipermagi is already being used or some other similar unique that is just better. Turn the 30% Fire res on this up to 30% vs. all and this armor may get used.
Myth - Add +50% enhanced damage to this armor, then it may see use. It’s useless as of now.
Peace - It can stay the way it is. This is actually a good runeword to use for Iron Golems and it’s relatively cheap to build.
Principle - Grossly overpriced for the Gul rune required. Ral + Gul + Eld, the Gul needs to be replaced so this armor is usable at much lower levels and then it may see use before people start finding things like Vipermagi.
Rain - Again, grossly overpriced at Ort + Mal + Ith. Lower the Mal rune to something low, and it may see use before people find things like Vipermagi.
Treachery - No need for change. This is one of the more useful early merc armors and/or prebuff sets in the game. It is also a good example of something that has niche uses that isn’t to expensive to build: Shael + Thul + Lem ← This is what this type of gear should be looking like in terms of creation costs.
Original Runewords:
Ancient’s Pledge - This good old classic runeword is fine as is and is probably the #1 most used “get me by” runeword in the game. Another example of low to mid level gear that’s requirements are spot on at: Ral Ort Tal.
Black - This melee runeword is surprisingly strong for how cheap it is, but yet it sees almost no use even during walk throughs. It requires: Thul + Io + Nef. Maybe its enhanced damage should be turned to 200% rather than 120%, then it may see use.
Fury - It requires: Jah + Gul + Eth, which the Jah rune would never be used to make this runeword as people will save Jah for more important things that after created, do not lose value. The Fury is certainly good enough to be used until obtaining end game gear but it simply is not worth killing a Jah rune for. The Jah needs to be replaced with something lower around the Pul level and this runeword would definitely see use.
Holy Thunder - It requires: Eth + Ral + Ort + Tal, another 4 socket weapon that has very low level attributes. By the time you get your hands on 4 socketed scepters, Holy Thunder is long obsolete. This runeword needs to be turned into a 3 socket runeword so it useful for walkthroughs.
Honor - It’s aaaalmost good enough to use, but then it isn’t. The problem here is that by the time you find 5 socket weapons to be able to use this mid level attribute type weapon, there are just better options. Honor needs a good 20% IAS slapped into its stats and it would be a viable get me by option.
King’s Grace - It’s fine as is.
Leaf - This sits right up there with Insight as a top tier “get me by” runeword. Honestly, this runeword is REALLY over powered for the rune requirement to make it ^^ It can stay the way it is.
Lionheart - I feel like it could use more Enhanced Damage. The 20% should go to 50% at least. Then people would consider actually building this for mid level play.
Lore - Can stay the way it is.
Malice - Shining example of a great get me by. Can stay the way it is.
Melody - The 50% Enhanced Damage should go up to 100% and this may be viable for early nightmare play.
Memory - Another 4 socket weapon that takes too long to access, which results in players having better options by the time they actually find a 4 socket staff. Turn this runeword down to 3 sockets.
Nadir - Make the Cloak Of Shadows charges be Cloak Of Shadows when getting hit, and add Shadow Master charges. Then this would be an interesting runeword to meme with. It would still be weak and in no way a meta pve or pvp setup, but it would be fun to mess around with, like Delirium.
Radiance - This runeword is terrible and completely useless. Add 10% fast run walk, 10% IAS, and 10% FCR to it, then it may see use in low to mid level play.
Rhyme - Can stay the way it is. This is a solid get me by.
Silence - It used to be so good! But after newer runewords were introduced it became obsolete. Now it sees no use because it’s too expensive to make at: Dol + Eld + Hel + Ist + Tir + Vex. People would rather invest things like Vex into a Heart Of The Oak so the Vex doesn’t lose value. Honestly Silence would still be a solid get me by if the Ist and Vex requirement were made to be lower runes.
Smoke - Buff that - light radius from -1 to -5 and now we’re looking at a good meme runeword to mess around with.
Stealth - Another solid get me by runeword. Can stay the way it is.
Steel - Can stay the way it is.
Strength - Can stay the way it is.
Venom - This runeword is ridiculously weak consider it requires: Tal + Dol + Mal. It was clearly designed for Poison Dagger Necromancers but it doesn’t get the job the done at all. The poison nova charges should be poison nova on strike, and this runeword could afford to see a +50% or more poison skill damage modifier, then it may see use as a meme.
Wealth - Can stay the way it is. This runeword is actually still useful for quite a few things including Iron Golems.
White - This runeword is amazingly strong and makes the best Necro Cast Wands in the game. Hilariously enough, it only requires: Dol Io ^^ It can stay the way it is.
Zephyr - It can stay the way that it is.
I consider myself a D2 purist, I do. I don’t want to see the foundational mechanics of the game altered, I really don’t. Although I do agree with UI enhancements and things like larger stash. When I did sit down to think about though, I would agree with enhancing some of these runewords, as after 20 years of playing Diablo 2, it had occurred to me that not once in 20 years did I ever even see a single person make or use most of these runewords for the reasons I’ve described here. Mostly because the values of the runes they originally coded for requirement in these weaker runewords, are just too high in value to ever waste to make those mid-grade runewords.
No. Game is not meant to have things melt around you like other games. It is meant to be difficult and a lot of people do not realize how hard high runes will be to find when there is limited botting and hacking.
I’m all for improving some of these, I totally agree on the cost of some of the runewords being too high for the benefits they give.
Bramble – Issue with this one is a set +300 to def rather than a % to def. This is why I didn’t pick it for a P-Dagger necy. PNova it is overshadowed by Enigma which is by far better than Bramble and at a relatively similar cost. Basically it cost too much for the poison caster and the def is too low for a melee Pdagger (yes I get that lower Def helps thorns trigger more but a necy is really squishy and can’t take hits that much. It needs to be combined with more % hit goes to mana to make it work.)
Crescent moon – 7% static is sufficient for a Zealot, Frensy druid or WW/Berserk Barb. With the IAS we get by the time you use this runeword 15% would be too much. 10% may be too much but it’s worth discussing.
Oh ya, don’t forget the other runewords ;)…the original have some great lower lvl ones but it has some dogs too.
i did not read it all, but when I stopped a pattern was clear. You want this and that buffed, instead of balanced. The “real” bad runewords dont need buffs, but instead need nerfs.
Grief is much cheaper than most 1.10 runewords, yet it is the most powerful due to its flawed design. a nerf is needed to balance this out, such as lowering the +damage to normal levels, what is normal levels? go find a unique with the highest +dmg and start there.
Enigma broke the game, gave everyone the ability to teleport. A nerf, of some sort, is needed badly to balance this out. it nerds a significant negative effect, one that isnt easily dismissed like minus 5 light radius, but something like -40% mana or -50 all resist.
Ah you’re right. I did forget a bunch of them. Ok here we go:
v1.11s
Bone - Requires Sol + Um + Um. This runeword is great for Iron Golems or even mercs, but the double Um creation cost isn’t worth it. This runeword should look more like Sol + Ith + Amn, then it would find viable use as an expendable investment.
Enlightenment - By the time you can build/wear this armor, Vipermagi is already being used or some other similar unique that is just better. Turn the 30% Fire res on this up to 30% vs. all and this armor may get used.
Myth - Add +50% enhanced damage to this armor, then it may see use. It’s useless as of now.
Peace - It can stay the way it is. This is actually a good runeword to use for Iron Golems and it’s relatively cheap to build.
Principle - Grossly overpriced for the Gul rune required. Ral + Gul + Eld, the Gul needs to be replaced so this armor is usable at much lower levels and then it may see use before people start finding things like Vipermagi.
Rain - Again, grossly overpriced at Ort + Mal + Ith. Lower the Mal rune to something low, and it may see use before people find things like Vipermagi.
Treachery - No need for change. This is one of the more useful early merc armors and/or prebuff sets in the game. It is also a good example of something that has niche uses that isn’t to expensive to build: Shael + Thul + Lem ← This is what this type of gear should be looking like in terms of creation costs.
Original Runewords:
Ancient’s Pledge - This good old classic runeword is fine as is and is probably the #1 most used “get me by” runeword in the game. Another example of low to mid level gear that’s requirements are spot on at: Ral Ort Tal.
Black - This melee runeword is surprisingly strong for how cheap it is, but yet it sees almost no use even during walk throughs. It requires: Thul + Io + Nef. Maybe its enhanced damage should be turned to 200% rather than 120%, then it may see use.
Fury - It requires: Jah + Gul + Eth, which the Jah rune would never be used to make this runeword as people will save Jah for more important things that after created, do not lose value. The Fury is certainly good enough to be used until obtaining end game gear, but it simply is not worth killing a Jah rune for. The Jah needs to be replaced with something lower around the Pul level and this runeword would definitely see use.
Holy Thunder - It requires: Eth + Ral + Ort + Tal, another 4 socket weapon that has very low level attributes. By the time you get your hands on 4 socketed scepters, Holy Thunder is long obsolete. This runeword needs to be turned into a 3 socket runeword so it useful for walkthroughs.
Honor - It’s aaaalmost good enough to use, but then it isn’t. The problem here is that by the time you find 5 socket weapons to be able to use this mid level attribute type weapon, there are just better options. Honor needs a good 20% IAS slapped into its stats and it would be a viable get me by option.
King’s Grace - It’s fine as is.
Leaf - This sits right up there with Insight as a top tier “get me by” runeword. Honestly, this runeword is REALLY over powered for the rune requirement to make it ^^ It can stay the way it is.
Lionheart - I feel like it could use more Enhanced Damage. The 20% should go to 50% at least. Then people would consider actually building this for mid level play.
Lore - Can stay the way it is.
Malice - Shining example of a great get me by. Can stay the way it is.
Melody - The 50% Enhanced Damage should go up to 100% and this may be viable for early nightmare play.
Memory - Another 4 socket weapon that takes too long to access, which results in players having better options by the time they actually find a 4 socket staff. Turn this runeword down to 3 sockets.
Nadir - Make the Cloak Of Shadows charges be Cloak Of Shadows when getting hit, and add Shadow Master charges. Then this would be an interesting runeword to meme with. It would still be weak and in no way a meta pve or pvp setup, but it would be fun to mess around with, like Delirium.
Radiance - This runeword is terrible and completely useless. Add 10% fast run walk, 10% IAS, and 10% FCR to it, then it may see use in low to mid level play.
Rhyme - Can stay the way it is. This is a solid get me by.
Silence - It used to be so good! But after newer runewords were introduced it became obsolete. Now it sees no use because it’s too expensive to make at: Dol + Eld + Hel + Ist + Tir + Vex. People would rather invest things like Vex into a Heart Of The Oak so the Vex doesn’t lose value. Honestly Silence would still be a solid get me by if the Ist and Vex requirement were made to be lower runes.
Smoke - Buff that - light radius from -1 to -5 and now we’re looking at a good meme runeword to mess around with.
Stealth - Another solid get me by runeword. Can stay the way it is.
Steel - Can stay the way it is.
Strength - Can stay the way it is.
Venom - This runeword is ridiculously weak consider it requires: Tal + Dol + Mal. It was clearly designed for Poison Dagger Necromancers but it doesn’t get the job the done at all. The poison nova charges should be poison nova on strike, and this runeword could afford to see a +50% or more poison skill damage modifier, then it may see use as a meme.
Wealth - Can stay the way it is. This runeword is actually still useful for quite a few things including Iron Golems.
White - This runeword is amazingly strong and makes the best Necro Cast Wands in the game. Hilariously enough, it only requires: Dol Io ^^ It can stay the way it is.
Yes, the HRs will indeed be very hard to find if there are no bots & dupes.
This is exactly why it would be a good thing if some of the rune requirements were lowered on this mid-grade runewords so we could actually use them while waiting to build the big boy stuff, that is going to take a long time without bots & dupes “If they actually can stop bots & dupes”. I guess we’ll see how that goes.
Your Duress buff is too good making it known as a super tank armor, should be changed to 25-50% enhanced dmg from 10-20%. As it is know as a DPS armor, and should stay with that identity."
Sanctuary buff of +2 skills is too much of a power creep. +1skills be fine.
Nothing wrong with Lawbringer, it casts Decrepify, which is great for defense and gives you more dmg and has Sancurary Aura which gives more dmg to undead.
Last Wish just needs to have Blind removed from it to make it worth the runes. As blind removes the life tap it gives kind of a design flaw if you ask me.
If you would more carefully read the provided suggestions, you would realize that everything you mentioned are runewords that I said “should stay exactly the same” with exception for Fury, which is broken and unusable in a 4 socket form.
My suggestions are to enable the viable use of content that has been largely wasted in the past 20 years due to flaws in the designs of some runewords, which have been discussed already.
It’s a shame to see so much coding & content go to waste for reasons of practicalities that the designers had no foresight on during the designing. Read my described problem with the runeword “Fury”, for a perfect example of what I mean.
They have not gone to waste. Bramble is often used to form Iron Golems. There are so many different combinations of things between magical, rare, unigue, set, runeword items. Plus charms and jewels. There are so many builds out there changing things like this to me creates horrible imbalances. Also you can gear any class and almost any build to make it work the way it is currently.
I bought Diablo 2 on day one release and have been playing it avidly for 20 years. I’ve written several guides in forums over the years, some of which have received hundreds of thousands of views in a time before esports & streaming. You don’t need to explain to me how the flow of the game works.
The only reason I am responding to this post is because I keep seeing responses to good suggestions in this forum that are very short sighted that seem to be coming from a place of serious bias, whether it is coming from old veteran D2 purists or maybe new gen D3 player base, I have no idea. But these responses seem to me like people have these ideals in their heads that they are unwilling to budge on, and rather than take the time to seriously stop and consider the actual pros vs. cons of what is suggested, they just shut it down immediately on principle of some ideal they have in their minds.
I bring all of this up because I was doing the same thing at first when I heard D2r was releasing and I began to see the first forum suggestions about it. But then as I read more and began to stop and consider the reasonable from the unreasonable, it did occur to me that there are many things about Diablo 2 that could be polished that would make for a better game, without actually changing the game at all.
Explaining it again, my suggestions here are not to over-buff anything to the point that it would change any end-game setup whatsoever. If you actually read the suggestions, you’ll see that they are coming from a place of enabling the actual use of some of these runewords that were never used at all. Why should 78 runewords exist in the game if only roughly 27 of them ever see use? That’s a lot of wasted content. And that content is wasted largely and mainly for the biggest reason I’ve already described, which is mid-grade gear being way to expensive in rune cost to ever consider actually building.
We are not talking about “There is already enough to get us by while leveling” and we are not talking about “It will make the game too easy” because it won’t. Being able to use a Wrath over a Skystrike isn’t going to change anything in the end or even in the intermediate. What I’m talking about here is making the content accessible and usable in a practical way. I’m talking about wasted content. And don’t you dare act like “it isn’t wasted content” because I’ll only take that seriously when you show up in-game and show me all of the HRs you’ve invested into building the Silences and Furys you’ve been saving over the years.
And finally to put into a different perspective, imagine if the game’s runewords had originally worked exactly the way that I was suggesting. Now imagine if D2r was releasing and I had come into this forum suggesting that they raise the rune costs so that mid-grade runewords required Bers and Jahs and Los across the board, so that a Silence would be virtually as difficult to build as a Breath Of The Dying. You know it’s true that you would respond to me and say: “That doesn’t even make sense.” So considering as much, I think we all should be a little more open to suggestions that are actually reasonable that wouldn’t change the game at all, but rather make it more fluid and rich.
There is a difference between ridiculous suggestions and good suggestions. Up to you to decide which is which. To each their own.
And gimp Zons who need a Nef for the Knockback because they don’t have access to WF or stuff like that…
You know what makes this game great? The imbalance of it all. If you try to balance everything so everything is viable, then the game becomes boring and none of the builds have any “character” anymore.
I’d love to read the whole post of the OP… but as soon as I read “add 25% OW to Bramble” I stopped… This is a laughably bad suggestion. Bramble is far from useless and you don’t know what you’re talking about.
