The return of runes in Diablo 4 offers powerful advantages—but where can you get them? This guide explores all the ways to collect these valuable runes and the best farming spots.
Table of Contents
How to Get Runes Quickly
There are three main ways to gather runes: crafting, farming, and trading.
1. Crafting: Mass Production Pays Off
Runes come in three rarities—magical, rare, and legendary. You can upgrade lower-rarity runes by combining them:
- 3 magical runes = 1 rare rune (random)
- 3 rare runes = 1 legendary rune
Visit the jeweler to do this. However, upgrades are not guaranteed, so farming a large number of low-level runes is often necessary.
2. Farming: Endgame Challenges
If you prefer farming to crafting, tackle endgame content. Here are the best farming activities:
- World Bosses: Defeating world bosses can drop runes and is great for farming.
- Tormented Uber Bosses: At Torment Level 4, these bosses provide the most efficient rune farming method.
- Kurast Undercity: Use a Tribute of Harmony to guarantee rune rewards but expect added challenges.
- Whispering Tree: The reward chests here guarantee runes and are easy to collect.
There are other endgame activities as well, which we’ll explore below.
3. Trading: Exchange Runes
Trading with other players is the quickest way to get the runes you need—if you have gold or valuable items to offer. Market prices will fluctuate, so check for the best deals.
Runes from New Endgame Activities
The expansion introduces two new dungeons with unique farming opportunities:
The Lower Town of Kurast
This dungeon features Aztec-style interiors, packed with enemies. You begin with 100 seconds on a timer, and destroying hourglass-marked enemies or structures adds bonus time. The goal is to activate blue flares and increase your reward level by killing enough enemies.
Using Tributes of Harmony boosts your chances of rune rewards but also adds difficulty, such as shorter time limits or fewer healing potions. While tributes can be found across Sanctuary, they are most easily farmed from Tormented Bosses.
The Dark Citadel
The Dark Citadel is endgame-only content that requires unlocking the first Torment difficulty and finishing most of the campaign. It’s also Diablo 4’s first co-op raid, needing 1-3 teammates to solve puzzles and tackle separate challenges.
Each wing ends with a boss fight, but in our preview, rune drops were scarce. Runs take 30-90 minutes, making the Citadel a decent farming option, though not necessarily the fastest.
Runes from Traditional Endgame Activities
Some older activities still offer rune farming opportunities:
Campaign and Fortresses
- First-time kills of campaign bosses guarantee some runes.
- Liberating fortresses also drops a few runes reliably.
Pit of the Artificer, Hell Hordes, and Flood
These activities did not drop any runes during testing. However, Blizzard confirmed they aren’t excluded from rune drops, so the chance exists.
Legion, World Boss, and Realmwalker Events
While defeating Legion and Realmwalkers doesn’t guarantee rune drops, they can yield Opal Elixirs. These elixirs increase your chance of finding runes for 30 minutes.
Opals only drop from Nahantu region events, and you must play at least on Remorseful difficulty.
World bosses, however, reliably drop 2-3 runes, making them worth farming every 3.5 hours. Timers help you track their spawn times.
Whispering Tree
Completing Whispering Tree quests guarantees a rune in reward chests. However, the rewards are usually magical or rare runes, with little improvement at higher difficulties.
Nightmare Dungeons
Though glyph upgrades now happen in the Pit of the Artificer, Nightmare Dungeons remain valuable for rune farming. They often feature bonus treasure rooms where you can find at least one rune. The dungeons scale with your world level, so no need to worry about key levels.
Tormented Bosses: The Best Rune Farming Method
While other bosses and activities were disappointing, Tormented Uber Bosses at Torment Level 4 offer the best chance for high-quality runes. These bosses, like Duriel and Andariel, can drop legendary runes and other valuable items.
Summoning items for these bosses can now drop from elite enemies, eliminating the need for grinding Helltides. Since you can summon them at any difficulty, higher levels give better rewards, making them the most efficient farming method.
If you collect extra legendary runes, you can trade them with other players for the ones you need.
Conclusion
Farming runes in Diablo 4 offers multiple approaches, from crafting and farming to trading. The most efficient way to get high-quality runes is to focus on Tormented Bosses at higher difficulty levels. World Bosses and Whispering Tree quests are also solid options for consistent rune drops. Whether you prefer crafting or direct farming, there’s a method for every playstyle. Good luck, and happy hunting!
