This page contains examples of some of the best runewords new players can craft, with relatively easy to find components and low requirements to equip.

Helmets¶

Lore (OrtSol)¶

A great early-game caster helmet, Lore requires a Sol rune, which is one of the rarer you’ll find in Normal difficulty, but is by no means impossible to find, and can be easily farmed from Nightmare [Countess]. It’s competitive with helmets like the Tarnhelm and Peasant Crown, and can hold you over until you find something like the Harlequin Crest.

Lore Stats

• +1 to All Skills
• +10 to Energy
• Lightning Resistance +30%
• Damage Reduced by 7
• +2 to Mana after each Kill
• +2 to Light Radius

Weapons¶

Honor (AmnElIthTirSol)¶

While there are other options for one-handed weapons, Honor is more geared for characters using heftier, two-handed weapons… mostly because by the time you find 5-socket, one-handed weapons you can use as a base, you’ll probably have something better. Honor gives a hefty bonus to +Enhanced Damage, Life Leech and +1 to All Skills, making it comparable to pretty much anything you could hope to find in Normal difficulty.

Honor Stats

• +1 to All Skills
• +160% Enhanced Damage
• +9 to Minimum Damage
• +9 to Maximum Damage
• +250 to Attack Rating
• 7% Life Stolen per Hit
• 25% Deadly Strike
• +10 to Strength
• Replenish Life +10
• +2 to Mana after each Kill
• +1 to Light Radius

Insight (RalTirTalSol)¶

Insight is an obscenely good runeword for the level at which its runes can be obtained, with the rarest being Sol - easily obtained from Nightmare [Countess]. It gives a heft boost to both Enhanced Damage and Attack Rating, with the odd additions of +Caster Rate and +Magic Find. The real interesting modifier is the sLv12-17 Meditation Aura it gives, however, as this provides all the Mana regeneration most casters could ever need. Of course, casters will probably want to be using some other gear, which makes hiring an Act 2 mercenary and giving them this weapon a popular move. Keep in mind that you’ll want to seek out polearms to serve as bases for this weapon - spears will not work.

Insight Stats

• Level 12 - 17 Meditation Aura When Equipped (variable)
• +35% Faster Cast Rate
• +200 - 260% Enhanced Damage (variable)
• +9 to Minimum Damage
• 180 - 250% Bonus to Attack Rating (variable)
• Adds 5 - 30 Fire Damage
• +75 Poison Damage over 5 Seconds
• +1 - 6 to Critical Strike (variable)
• +5 to all Attributes
• +2 to Mana after each Kill
• 23% Better Chance of Getting Magic Items

Leaf (TirRal)¶

Perhaps the most compelling reason to play a Fire Sorceress at the beginning of the game (even if you ultimately want to respec into something else), Leaf is cheap to make with runes easily farmed from Normal [Countess]. The +3 to Fire Skills is just killer, and best of all, works with classes like the Fire Auradin and the [Fire Elemental Druid], too. Bonus points if you shop around until you find a normal (non-magical) staff that adds +3 Fireball, in which case Leaf will last you until you get a Spirit sword.

Leaf Stats

• Adds 5-30 Fire Damage
• +3 to Fire Skills
• +3 to Fire Bolt (Sorceress Only)
• +3 to Inferno (Sorceress Only)
• +3 to Warmth (Sorceress Only)
• +2 Mana After Each Kill
• +2-198 to Defense (Based on Character Level)
• Cold Resist +33%

Spirit (TalThulOrtAmn)¶

Requiring an Amn rune at its highest, Spirit is an incredibly cheap runeword to construct, and one that competes well with mid-tier caster uniques. Finding the 4-socket sword this runeword requires takes more effort, but it’s still something you can pick up early in Nightmare difficulty. With its +2 to All Skills, +Caster Rate and +100~ to Mana, it’s a weapon that’ll get a character through Hell difficulty.

Spirit Stats

• +2 To All Skills
• +25-35% Faster Cast Rate (variable)
• +55% Faster Hit Recovery
• Adds 1-50 Lightning Damage
• Adds 3-14 Cold Damage
• +75 Poison Damage Over 5 Seconds
• 7% Life Stolen Per Hit
• +250 Defense vs. Missiles
• +22 To Vitality
• +89-112 To Mana (variable)
• +3-8 Magic Absorb (variable)

Steel (TirEl)¶

By no means an amazing runeword, Steel nevertheless competes with most low-end Normal difficulty uniques. Being able to roll one up in pretty much any two-socket weapon with runes easily farmed from the [Countess] is a huge boon for melee characters trying to get started.

Steel Stats

• +25% Increased Attack Speed
• +20% Enhanced Damage
• +3 to Minimum Damage
• +3 to Maximum Damage
• +50 to Attack Rating
• 50% Chance Of Open Wounds
• +2 to Mana After Each Kill
• +1 to Light Radius

Strength (AmnTir)¶

While it does require an Amn rune and yields little in the way or +% Enhanced Damage, Strength does provide one incredibly useful modifier: Crushing Blow. This effect has a chance to shave off a percentage of the enemy’s life (the health reduced varies by the type of monster in question, with champions, uniques and bosses taking less damage than normal enemies), meaning the faster the weapon, the more damage it’ll do regardless of what the damage numbers otherwise indicate. Find any 2-socketed weapon with Very Fast Attack Speed and you’re good to go. Best if paired with abilities like Frenzy or Zeal, for extra fast killing.

Strength Stats

• +35% Enhanced Damage
• 7% Life Stolen per Hit
• 25% Chance Of Crushing Blow
• +20 5o Strength
• +10 to Vitality
• +2 to Mana After Each Kill

Shields¶

Rhyme (ShaelEth)¶

It’s no Spirit, and does cost a Shael rune, which will require some luck on later Acts in Normal difficulty, or some Nightmare [Countess] runs, but it does increase Block Chance and Block Rate considerably, grants +All Resistances, the ever-useful “Cannot Be Frozen” modifier, and some +Magic Find for good measure. For non-casters and non-Paladins, it’ll tide you over until you find something better.

Rhyme Stats

• +40% Faster Block Rate
• 20% Increased Chance of Blocking
• Regenerate Mana 15%
• All Resistances +25
• Cannot Be Frozen
• 50% Extra Gold from Monsters
• 25% Better Chance of Getting Magic Items

Spirit (TalThulOrtAmn)¶

Spirit can also be made with shields, where its properties are somewhat different, swapping out elemental damage for resistances among a few other minor changes. The sought after caster stats, however, remain the same. Sadly, this is only truly a beginner runeword for Paladins, as 4-socket Paladin shields can drop relatively early. Non-Paladin casters will have to wait until Hell difficulty for Monarch shields to drop, which carry a hefty 156 Strength requirement and a level requirement of 54. For Paladin Shields, keep your eye out for specimens with +Resist All Elements, as these will stack with the bonuses Spirit grants.

Spirit Stats

• +2 To All Skills
• +25-35% Faster Cast Rate (variable)
• +55% Faster Hit Recovery
• +250 Defense vs. Missiles
• +22 To Vitality
• +89-112 To Mana (variable)
• Cold Resist +35%
• Lightning Resist +35%
• Poison Resist +35%
• +3-8 Magic Absorb (variable)
• Attacker Takes Damage of 14

Armor¶

Stealth (TalEth)¶

The go-to caster armor for Normal difficulty, it’ll last you until you find Skin of the Vipermagi or Skullder’s Ire. The required runes, Tal and Eth are easy to find from Normal [Countess] and the armor base can be bought from Charsi in Act 1. Hard to get any simpler than that. Even for non-casters, its +Run/Walk speed, +Hit Recovery, +6 Dexterity and Poison Resistance make it decent armor - especially if you’re otherwise relegated to rare armor you’ve found.

Stealth Stats

• +25% Faster Run/Walk
• +25% Faster Cast Rate
• +25% Faster Hit Recovery
• +6 to Dexterity
• Regenerate Mana 15%
• +5 Maximum Stamina
• Poison Resist +30%
• Magic Damage Reduced by 3