Diablo Wiki - User contributions [en]

Wizard

2011-09-19T07:09:51Z

Krolinkos: /* Wizard Passive Skills */

The '''Wizard''' is a pure [[caster|spellcaster]], harnessing arcane and elemental magic to do his/her bidding via a devastating array of offensive spells. The Wizard is quite similar to the [[Sorcerer]] and [[Sorceress]] of previous Diablo games, in design and concept.

==Background==

{|cellpadding="2" width="250px" align="right" style="border-collapse: collapse; border: none; background: #2D0606; clear:left; margin-top: 5px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 10px; line-height: 10px; font-size: 10px;"
!colspan="2" style="text-align: center; line-height: 12px; font-size: 14px;"|'''[[Diablo III Class]]'''
|-
|colspan="2" style="text-align: center;"|[[File:Wizards.jpg|200px]]
|-
!colspan="2" style="text-align: center; line-height: 14px; font-size: 16px;"| The Wizard
|-
| [[Skills]]:
| [[Wizard Skills]]
|-
| [[Passives]]:
| [[Wizard Passives]]
|-
| [[Resource]]:
| [[Arcane Power]]
|-
! colspan="2" | Common [[builds]]:
|-
| colspan="2" | [[Caster]], [[Battle mage]].
|-
! colspan="2" |
<center>Background</center>
|-
| Origin:
| Xiansai
|-
| Affiliation:
| None current. 
[[Vizjerei]] (former), 
[[Zann Esu]] (former)
|-
| Friends:
| None known
|-
| Foes:
| [[Vizjerei]], [[Yshari Sanctum]], [[Valthek]]
|}

[[Image:Male Wizard2.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Male Wizard using [[Wave of Force]].]]
The word "wizard" is used derogatory for rogue [[Sorcerer]]s and magi that are dangerous to the world at large in the world of [[Sanctuary]].

The female Wizard character in [[Diablo III]] is from the island [[Xiansai]], an island to the far north with a culture similar to Asia in our world. [[Abd al-Hazir]] writes about a 'wizard' wreaking havoc in [[Caldeum]] in his [[Writings of Abd al-Hazir: Entry no. 0007|seventh entry]] of the [[Writings of Abd al-Hazir]].

This 19 year old female wizard was sent to the [[Zann Esu]] [[mage clan]], but later handed over to the powerful [[Vizjerei]] since she was a "rude and uncooperative student," that the smaller mage clan could not control. They hoped the harsh discipline at Vizjerei "would break her anarchic spirit." Yet even the Vizjerei instructors were unable to rein her in. She was continually being caught seeking out dangerous and forbidden magics without care for herself or anyone around her.

It was rumoured in Caldeum that she ventured into the infamous [[Bitter Depths]] below the [[Sanctum]], but the truth is she was caught in the [[Ancient Repositories]], where the most dangerous incantations are housed for the safety of the public.

[[Valthek]], a great Vizjerei mage confronted her and she attacked him. She relied on trickery and deceit to render Valthek unconscious and then proceeded to flee the city immediately after the encounter. The extensive property damage was assumed to be the result of Valthek's [[magic]]al prowess, not the young wizard.

Abd al-Hazir is concerned about the young, rebellious and inexperienced wizard wandering the world, using magics she does not understand. He mentioned that certain schools of magic were too dangerous and "those wiser than you or I determined long ago [to forbid] their practice." Primal forces including time warps include the secrets he suspects she gathered from the Ancient Repositories.

==Wizard Active Skills==

The [[Wizard skills]] were arranged in three trees prior to 2010. The [[skills]] and [[skill tree]] systems were entirely revised in 2010, and the active skills were arranged into one large list. At [[BlizzCon 2010]] in October Blizzard revealed the new skill system, with all [[passive skills]] moved to [[traits]]. However, At the [[July 2011 Press Event]], it was revealed that [[traits]] had been changed back to [[passive skills]].

The following is a very quick list. See the [[Wizard skills]] page for a more thorough summary, or any of the individual skills pages for full information.

===Signature===
[[Image:Magic_Missile_impact.jpg‎|thumb|right|250px|[[Magic Missile]].]]
* [[Magic Missile]] - Launch a missile of magic energy.
* [[Shock Pulse]] - Release a pulse of unpredictable charges of electricity.
* [[Spectral Blade]] - Summon a spectral blade that strikes all enemies in your path.
* [[Electrocute]] - A solid bolt of lightning locks onto a target and deals damage over time.

===Offensive===
[[Image:Wiz-disintegrate1.jpg|thumb|right|250px|[[Disintegrate]]]]
* [[Wave of Force]] - Emits a nova-like wave of force that damaged and knocks back enemies, as well as repelling projectiles.
* [[Arcane Orb]] - Fires a slow-moving orb of Arcane energy that explodes on contact and deals [[AoE]] damage.
* [[Energy Twister]] - Summons an energy twister that deals arcane damage to everything in its erratic path.
* [[Disintegrate]] - The Wizard fires a laser-like beam of Arcane energy, striking all enemies in a straight line and disintegrating those it kills.
* [[Explosive Blast]] - A physical damage nova that casts a short time after its triggered.
* [[Hydra]] - Summons a multi-headed hydra that spits firebolts at nearby enemies.
* [[Ray of Frost]] - The Wizard fires a beam of cold that chills and slows attackers.
* [[Arcane Torrent]] - Arcane meteorites pelt the targeted region dealing Arcane damage to a small radius.
* [[Meteor]] - Summons a meteor which crashes down from above, dealing huge fire damage, and leaving a field of flames that deal AoE fire damage for a short duration.
* [[Blizzard]] - Shards of ice crash down on a large radius, dealing cold damage to all enemies in the vicinity.

===Utility===
* [[Frost Nova]] - An explosion of ice deals cold damage and freezes all enemies in range.
* [[Ice Armor]] - A protective spell that surrounds the Wizard with a barrier of ice. It increases armor, freezes attackers, and damages them with cold.
* [[Magic Weapon]] - Imbues the Wizard's weapon with magical energy, granting increased damage.
* [[Diamond Skin]] - Turns the Wizard's skin to diamond for a duration, absorbing a set amount of damage from incoming attacks.
* [[Storm Armor]] - A lighting armor that periodically zaps nearby enemies for highly-variable lightning damage.
* [[Mirror Image]] - Creates an illusionary duplicate of the Wizard that lasts for a short duration.
* [[Slow Time]] - Warps space and time, slowing nearby monsters and projectiles for a limited duration.
* [[Teleport]] - Teleport instantly to the selected location.
* [[Energy Armor]] - A protective barrier that absorbs damage, draining [[Arcane Power]] in its place.
* [[Familiar]] - Creates a companion that accompanies the Wizard and attacks enemies. This companion cannot be targeted or damaged by enemies.
* [[Archon]] - Transforms the Wizard into a being of superior power and grants new, modified version of her skills. Duration is prolonged when an enemy is killed.

==Wizard Passive Skills==

This is a very quick listing. See the [[Wizard skills]] article for more details, or click on any of the individual passive skills for full stats and info. Skills are listed in the order they are unlocked through level progression.

* [[Power Hungry]] - Gain [[Arcane Power]] whenever you are healed by a health globe.
* [[Temporal Flux]] - Enemies that have been damaged by Arcane spells are slowed down.
* [[Glass Cannon]] - Increases damage done by spells while reducing the Wizard's armor and resistances.
* [[Prodigy]] - Gain [[Arcane Power]] every time you cast a signature spell.
* [[Virtuoso]] - Increase wand attack damage. Successful wand attacks generate [[Arcane Power]] and heal the player.
* [[Astral Presence]] - Increases maximum [[Arcane Power]] and regeneration rate.
* [[Illusionist]] - Resets the cooldowns of [[Mirror Image]] and [[Teleport]] when you lose a large amount of life in a single hit.
* [[Galvanizing Ward]] - Increases the duration of armor spells. While armor spells are active, you gain increased life regeneration.
* [[Blur]] - Reduces damage taken while in melee.
* [[Evocation]] - Reduces cooldowns.
* [[Arcane Dynamo]] - When you deal damage with a signature spell you gain a Flash of Insight. After 8 stacks your next non-signature spell deals increased damage.
* [[Unstable Anomaly]] - Release a shockwave that knocks enemies back when the player falls below 20% health.

===Wizard Traits===
Many [[traits]] were preserved as [[passive skills]], but a lot them were dropped. See the [[Wizard traits]] page for full info on what the traits system looked like.

==Class Design==
The Wizard is an aggressive archetypal magic wielder founding his powers on the aggressive fierceness of the storm, the arcane and conjuration. Both the male and female wizards are rebellious, headstrong, impulsive, and brilliant. Too smart and arrogant to fit into the authority of the sorcerer schools of the [[mage clan]]s. Always on top of their skills and even smarter than their teachers, cocky and self assured.

===Resource System===

After an interview, Jay Wilson said that the Wizard will not use [[Instability]], it will be using a new kind of resource pool, Arcane Power, which is not dissimilar to [[mana]] in a lot of ways.
The arcane power regenerates quicker than [[mana]] but it is a flat amount it cannot be increased statistically or by items, some [[Skills]] empower it.

At Blizzcon 2010, Jay Wilson stated that mana might probably be going back to the Wizard, because they are all but convinced by Arcane Power.[http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/blizzcon-2010-hand-on-blascid/]

===Sorceress Redux?===
Some fans have criticized the Wizard for just being the [[Sorceress]] with a new look. [[Jay Wilson]] commented on that [http://www.1up.com/do/previewPage?pager.offset=1&cId=3172030&p=1 in an interview with 1up.com] in December 2008.

[[Image:Wiz-disintegrate1.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Wizard using [[Disintegrate]].]]
::''I would respond, "Yeah, you're right; the Wizard is basically a reskinned Sorceress." What we couldn't do with the Sorceress very well was break into what I'd call the old-school pen-and-paper magic user. You know the old magic user who could do a variety of things, like conjure up animals out of midair or create clouds of fog and acid or control time or [[Disintegrate|disintegrate things]] or use death spells. They had this wide variety of magic that they could use compared to the more traditional elementalist -- which is what the Sorceress is, meaning fire, ice, and lightning -- who was just more limited. What we really wanted to do is break into this area, while if we just did the Sorceress again, we'd be like, "OK, you have to do fire, ice, and lightning, but where does disintegrate fit? Where does slow time fit in?" So we decided [that we'd] just take the same class mechanics, and [that we'd] change the basic concept and name and just have a throwback to that old-school magic user to give ourselves a broader range of magic skills. But there was never a huge desire to go away from the basic gameplay of the Sorceress; there's a lot of repeated skills, and that's intentional.''

==Appearance==

[[File:Wiz-fem-02.jpg|thumb|250px|Female wizard: concept art to final in-game.]]
The female wizard's appearance was widely-accepted and non-controversial. She looks quite a bit like her original concept art.

===Male Wizard Controversy===

The male wizard, on the other hand, had a very controversial reveal. No one thought much of his concept art or paid much attention to his appearance when he debuted as a playable character in the [[BlizzCon 2009]] demo. However, some months later when Blizzard added his in-game model to their official wizard page, there was an eruption of fan rage. [http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/male-wizard-in-game-animation-and-ss/]

The primary complaints were that he looked too effeminate, and while there was arguably a homophobic edge to the complaints, anyone can see that the male wizard is far from the strongest-looking character in the game. The character lore stresses how headstrong, confident, and haughty the wizard is in his/her arrogant youth, and in matching that description the male wizard falls short. He's just not an imposing, powerful looking individual [http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/the-wimpy-male-wizard-and-posturing/], though as some fans pointed out,[http://diablo.incgamers.com/forums/showpost.php?p=7461233&postcount=14] he's very much typical of the current look of many heroic males in popular anime; wearing an indifferent, too-cool-for-school meterosexual look. It's not known if that "look" played any part in Blizzard's design of the character, but it's clear that Blizzard wants to provide a variety of different character looks so that all fans will have someone they can enjoy playing. And that tastes vary.

[[File:Wiz-male-comparison1.jpg|frame|thumb|200px|Male Wizard concept vs. in-game.]]
Blizzard made no substantive comments over the fan reaction to the male wizard's appearance, so it's assumed that they're making no changes and are fine with the way fans have greeted the character's look. A poll on Diii.net found fan opinions widely split on the character, with almost equal numbers of fans to loved and hated it, with very few undetermined votes.[http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/male-wizards-look-your-opinion/]

<blockquote>What do you think of the look of the Male Wizard?
* 2) It's good, but could be improved. 243 votes, 28.79%
* 4) Ugh. I'll be playing the female Wiz. 220 votes, 26.07%
* 5) Hate it. J-pop boy-band reject. 140 votes, 16.59%
* 1) I love the male Wizard look. 137 votes, 16.23%
* 3) I'm indifferent. M'eh. 104 votes, 12.32%
Total Votes: 844</blockquote>

It is worth stressing that there was no fan outcry to the look of the male wizard after he was first shown in-game, at the [[BlizzCon 2009]] demo. It was only when his head-on view was added to the official website that he became objectionable, and since this is a view players will never have in the isometric, top-down game view, (barring some sort of "zoom in to look at your character's armor" option) this controversy is likely to be a non-factor in the final game.

==Spell Damage==

One of the key changes to spell casters in Diablo III is the addition of +% spell damage modifiers. These sorts of modifiers were found on many skills in Diablo 2, and on a few uniques and runewords, but they were uncommon, and not necessary to kill effectively. As a result, casters in Diablo 2 were much less item-dependent than the combat classes, and found it easier to concentrate on [[Magic Find]], resistances, hit points, and other non-damage bonuses.

This will not be the case in Diablo 3, where mages must add considerable +% spell damage from modifiers to stay ahead of the monster hit point curve. A high level Wizard or [[Witch Doctor]] in Diablo 3 will no more be able to kill quickly with no +spell damage than a [[Barbarian]] or [[Monk]] could succeed with a junk weapon. A quote from Flux's post-Blizzcon 2009 Wizard write up explains this in more detail:

::When viewing the listed damage on each spell, it’s important to keep in mind that those are not absolute numbers, in D3. They’re much like weapon damage; modified by your wizard’s attributes, your character level, by other skills, and also by your equipment. Lots of types of items in D3 carry modifiers that boost spell damage, usually by a percentage.

::I found numerous wands, staves, and even pieces of armor with values between +5-25% spell damage, and that was just in the early stages of the game. We know nothing about higher level equipment bonuses, and it’s entirely possible that the D3 team is projecting high level characters to have +100%, +200%, or who knows, +500%, spell damage. If so they’ll be adjusting the base spell damage accordingly, which might make it look very low to our untrained eyes.

::Here’s an example from early in the game, that was mentioned in the [http://www.diii.net/blog/comments/full-witch-doctor-skills/ Witch Doctor skills report]. The skill tree listed damage on my level 2 Skull of Flame spell was 6-9, yet with a level 12 Witch Doctor my Inventory screen showed 19-29 for that spell. I don’t think I had more than +50% spell damage from equipment, so assuming the display values aren’t wrong (in [http://diablo2.diablowiki.net/Lying_Character_Screen D2’s infamous LCS] style), there are considerable bonuses added to damage from character attributes, which are then further boosted by the spell damage bonuses on your equipment.

::This is all part of the D3 team’s plan to make all of the attributes useful to all characters, and to make more types of modifiers useful/essential to spell casters. We don’t know enough yet to judge how well it’s working, but it should be a substantial change from how spell damage was calculated and scaled up (or not) in D2.

==Wizard Lore and Story==

Like all of the characters in Diablo 3, the Wizard has an in-game backstory that gives insight into the character's personality and mannerisms. The tale is written from the perspective of [[Abd al-Hazir]], the scholar and historian responsible for most of the game lore thus far released. The following is [[Writings of Abd al-Hazir: Entry no. 0007|the 7th entry from his journal]].

[[Image:Male_Wizard.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Male Wizard concept art.]]
<blockquote>''Owing to my lack of tolerance for those who would use [[magic]] towards their own nefarious ends, many have assumed that I am averse to the practice of the magical arts on a philosophical level. Nothing could be farther from the truth. My quarrel is with those sorcerers who dismiss the ancient traditions and teachings – teachings that have been honed over millennia in order to preserve respect for authority and the rule of law.
 
''Recently the youth of [[Caldeum]] have fallen prey to the overblown stories of just such a delinquent [[wizard]]. That is correct: I used the uncouth term wizard, not [[sorcerer]]. It seems that even the title of a civilized magic wielder is too restrictive for this young upstart. Through my contacts at the [[Yshari Sanctum]] of the [[mage clan]]s, I am one of the few who actually know the truth behind the rumors now sweeping our streets regarding this hellion who flaunts her magic irresponsibly.
 
''This wizard was sent here to spend her formative years under the tutelage of the best mages in the world. Well, it seems they neglected to teach our wizard manners on her native island of [[Xiansai]], for she was a rude and uncooperative student from the very beginning. Originally under the guidance of the [[Zann Esu]] mage clan, she was eventually handed over to the [[Vizjerei]] in the hopes that their strict and unbending discipline would break her anarchic spirit. Yet even the esteemed Vizjerei instructors were unable to rein her in. She was continually being caught seeking out dangerous and forbidden magics, heedless of the consequences to herself or anyone around her.
 
''Although there is no truth to the tales that she actually ventured into the infamous [[Bitter Depths]] below the [[Sanctum]], she was caught in the [[Ancient Repositories]], where the most dangerous incantations are housed for the safety of the public. When confronted by the great Vizjerei mage [[Valthek]] and demanded to account for herself, she brazenly attacked him rather than face the punishment merited by her acts. Exaggerated stories of the battle are already being inflated to mythic proportions by the more rebellious of our city's youth, but suffice it to say that she did not actually best [[Yshari]]'s most powerful mage in single, honorable combat. The details of the encounter remain unclear, as Valthek has yet to regain consciousness, but it has been verified by reliable sources that she relied on trickery and deceit to bring the great man low. I have also been assured that the extensive property damage was chiefly the result of Valthek's magical prowess, not the upstart wizard's. As to where she is now, no one rightly knows, for she fled the city immediately after the encounter.
 
''It is not my goal to alarm, but I find this situation disturbing. We now have a rebellious [[wizard]], young and inexperienced, wandering the world, dabbling in powerful magics she does not understand. Those wiser than you or I determined long ago that certain schools of magic were too dangerous and forbade their practice. It is those magics that this wizard seems determined to explore – magics centered on manipulating the primal forces from which reality is constructed. Imagine, a headstrong nineteen-year-old youth, able to warp time itself to her will! The thought is truly terrifying. It is my honest hope that this self-styled wizard chooses never to return to [[Caldeum]].</blockquote>

==Development==
The Wizard was the third [[class]] revealed by Blizzard, debuting at [[BlizzCon 2008]]. It's in essence a re-make of the [[Sorceress]], but with a slightly different set of skills.

In the [[GamesCom 2009 demo]], we saw the male version of the in-game wizard the first time.

Also in the [[GamesCom 2009 demo]], The Wizard was using [[Mana]] as a placeholder resource pool.

On 22nd September 2009, [[Bashiok]] announced the Wizard will not be using traditional [[Mana]], but a [[resource pool|resource]] more specialized for the class. This resource was later revealed to be [[Arcane Power]].

==Media==
You can find pictures in the Diablo 3 screenshot and picture gallery:
* [http://www.diii.net/gallery/ Diablo 3 screenshots and pictures]
* [http://www.diii.net/gallery/showgallery.php?cat=all&si=Wizard Wizard-specific gallery contents]

<gallery>
Image:Ss71 hires.jpg|Female Wizard.
Image:Male_Wizard.jpg|Male Wizard.
Image:Wizard vs King Leoric.jpg|Wizard vs [[King Leoric]].
Image:Wizard disintegrate.jpg|Wizard casting [[Disintegrate]].
Image:Wiz-disintegrate2.jpg|[[disintegrate]] used on [[Zombie]]s.
Image:Skill_wizard_slowtime.jpg|[[Slow Time]] with [[Wave of Force]] to throw spells back at [[caster]]s.
Image:Wiz-slow-time1.jpg|Casting [[Electrocute]] out of a [[Slow Time]] bubble.
Image:Mana-orb1.jpg|[[Mana Globe]] in a [[Experience#Level_Up_Bonus|level-up]] explosion.
Image:Male_Wizard2.jpg|The male Wizard in the game.
</gallery>

==References==
* [[Writings of Abd al-Hazir: Entry no. 0007|Writings of Abd al-Hazir: Entry no. 0007: Wizard]]
* [http://www.diii.net/blog/comments/bashiok-on-non-mana-resources-and-cinematics/ Bashiok on non-mana Resources and Cinematics]

{{Skill_navbox_Diablo_III|Wizard}}

[[Category:Classes]]
[[Category:Basics]]
[[category:Wizard]]

Skill Runes

2011-09-18T14:03:59Z

Krolinkos: Added build calculator info.

'''Runestones''' are small items that can be socketed - one each - into any [[skill]], but not into [[traits]] or into [[item]]s, as were runes in Diablo II. Diablo III's skill runes grant special bonuses to the skills with which they are used, altering their effects and generally enhancing them, although the changes that a rune makes to a skill may dramatically alter its utility.

* See all [http://diablo.incgamers.com/categories/category/runestones/ news related to runestones in Diablo III].
* [[Rune Archive]] -- Runes evolved greatly during the development of Diablo III. See the archive page for a history lesson.

<div style="float:right; clear:right; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px;"> 
__TOC__
</div>

==Rune Basics==

[[File:Runes5.jpg|left|thumb|115px|The five Runes.]]
Runestones come in five types, and a particular kind of bonus or alteration is typical of each. For instance, the [[Crimson Rune]] generally adds damage or a fire effect. However the effects that runestones have vary greatly with the skills themselves - a skill that doesn't deal damage may not gain a damaging effect from a Crimson Rune, but rather be altered in some other way.

In addition to the five types, Runestones also occur in seven levels of quality, with increasingly potent effects. A Runestone of one level always has a more dramatic effect than a Runestone of a lower level, usually in the sense that it affects a given skill in the same way, but to a greater extent. It is not generally known whether or not it will be possible to combine Runestones of one quality level to generate higher-level Runestones, however all seven quality levels are dropped by [[monsters]]<ref>[http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/runestone-info-galore/ Bashiok forum post] - Blue Tracker, January 2011</ref>.

The Runestone naming scheme has changed several times during development. The current iteration was devised in early 2010 and made public in May of that year when [[Bashiok]] <ref>[http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/new-skill-rune-names-revealed/ Bashiok forum post] - Blue Tracker, May 2010</ref> revealed the names to be [[Crimson]], [[Indigo]], [[Obsidian]], [[Golden]] and [[Alabaster]]. This change coincided with considerable changes to their effects. The current effects to all skills can be viewed with the Blizzard [http://us.battle.net/d3/en/calculator/ build calculator], released along with the Beta.

===D3 Runestones vs. D2 Runes===

[[Diablo III]]'s Runestones are nothing like the '{{iw|runes runes}}' found in [[Diablo II]]. In D2 there are thirty-three kinds of runes, which are small items that have no use on their own, but can be placed in item sockets to add various bonuses to those items, and in certain combinations produce {{iw|Runeword RuneWords}}, which add powerful, predetermined sets of bonuses, provided that the item has precisely the right number of sockets.

Diablo III's runes are socketed into [[skills]], not items. See the [[Gem]]s and [[Socket]]s articles for more details about [[item]] socketing in Diablo III.

===Rune Tool Tips===

[[File:Indigo-rank1-2.jpg|thumb|Nondescript description.]]
The tool tip that displays when a rune is hovered over is not informative. It simply says, "socket in skills for a special bonus." To obtain information about what a rune actually does, players need to click on the rune to pick it up, then hover it over their available skills. The tool tip will then briefly describe what effect the rune will grant that skill.

Since just the word descriptions aren't that informative, most players will want seek out additional information from a wiki or video of the skill in action. Or simply plan on testing out a lot of rune functions before deciding on what they want to use long term.

==Runestone Functions==

Runes have no function on their own, other than beautifying your inventory. They are only useful once they're [[socket]]ed into a skill, where they alter the skill's function. All runes improve the base skill effect, and in every known case any rune is better than no rune at all.

That said, a rune'd skill may not be an improvement over the base skill in every situation -- using a rune to change a [[fire]] attack to a [[cold]] attack (as the [[Crimson]] rune does to the [[Hydra]] skill) would obviously be a poor choice against cold resistant monsters.

The functions of each type of rune in each skill vary widely. While the early runestone system had fairly predictable bonuses -- certain runes added +damage, or multishot, or lowered the resource cost in almost every skill -- the complexity and variety of rune effects grew steadily over the course of game development.

Devising and implementing the effects of the Runestones was a tremendous amount of work for Diablo III's developers and artists; there are nearly 120 skills in the game, each with a basic function which is modified in at least four or five totally different ways by each runestone.

===Proposed Changes to Rune Functionality===

The following portion is still theory for the development team, revealed on August 1st, 2011, after a press event.
Jay Wilson described a slightly changed rune system from what fans are accustomed to.

Note that this system is still theoretical, it has not been implemented or tested and it is unknown whether it will be released in any form.

The proposed change does not fundamentally alter the function of runes. The core function of socketing a rune into a skill to change how the skill works is still present.
However, the "color" system of the runes would be dropped in favor of runes that are "Unattuned". The player would "attune" the rune by socketing it into a skill. Whatever effect the rune would have on the skill would not be known beforehand, making runes sort of similar to [[Jewel]]s in Diablo II.
In addition to this, each rune, once attuned (or identified to follow Diablo parlance) would also have another passive benefit on it, such as an increase to [[Attack]] or another [[stat]]. This is perhaps an attempt by the development team to add in more customisation after the loss of [[Charms]] and the [[Talisman]]. Once the rune is socketed and attuned, it would then be permanently fixed, unless they chose to add in a crafting recipe to "wipe" the rune back to a blank slate.

==Early Functions==

Prior to Blizzcon 2010, the Runestones (which had different names at the time) were generally accepted to do the following:

* [[Alabaster rune]]: Wild card functions.
* [[Crimson rune]]: Generally provides +damage and/or fire damage.
* [[Golden rune]]: Generally reduces the resource cost.
* [[Indigo rune]]: Generally provides multishot in some form.
* [[Obsidian rune]]: Wild card functions.

At Blizzcon it was revealed that this simple, predictable approach, had largely been discarded.

===Higher-Level Runestone Functions===

A Runestone's function tends to vary in a quantitative way with its level of quality, rather than in a qualitative way. For example, an Indigo Rune adds multishot to Magic Missile; higher level Indigo Runes don't change that function, but rather increase the number of projectiles generated. However Runestones of some quality levels also have qualitative advantages over lower-level Runestones of the same type.

<blue>Will the increase in rank continue the change that the first rank made to the skill? For example, with the WD blow dart skill, the alabaster runes turn the dart into a snake. What does a higher ranking alabaster rune do? 
Bashiok: Yes, the mechanic stays the same for the rune type in all ranks (more or less). It simply increases in power. For the Alabaster-in-Poison Dart example I’m actually not sure the increase in effect, but it likely plays off of the stun effect (higher ranks stun the target for longer). Runes that reduce cost reduce even more cost as the rank increases. A rune that would cause multiple projectiles would fire even more projectiles as the rank increases, etc.

It’s not necessarily a hard and fast rule though that the increase must only be one thing. Maybe it means more projectiles AND ups the damage a little to make sure it remains competitive with other runes or skills. It has to be a somewhat fluid system.</blue>

==Runestone Scarcity==

[[File:Runeprogression.jpg|thumb|300px|Runestone levels as of August, 2011.]]
There are seven Runestone quality levels, roughly distributed so that levels one and two are found as a character progresses through Normal, three and four are found in Nightmare, five and six in Hell, and the final seventh rank is found exclusively in [[Inferno]] (each Runestone's quality can be determined by the number of points around its edge). It's not known how common or rare Runestones will be, or whether or not all five types will be equally difficult to find. The most recent information about the subject came from a forum post by Bashiok in January 2011.<ref>[http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/runestone-info-galore/ Bashiok forum post] - Blue Tracker, January 12, 2011</ref>

<blue>Are all five runes equally as rare or is one or more types rarer than others? 
Bashiok: That’s a good question, I can see how that could be justified. I don’t know what the plan is there, I’ll have to ask. My gut is that it would be too much to keep some type of rune ‘power rating’ in mind when altering drop rates, especially post-release where patches could jumble them around a fair bit. “This rune sucks now but it’s still the rarest!”

Also, ideally, each rune type will be equally viable to different people and builds. Saying one is more powerful than another would mean we’re probably balancing them to be, and that’s not the case.</blue>

===Rune Crafting/Upgrading===

The D3 Team has confirmed that the [[Mystic]] will have some [[crafting]] [[recipes]] to create new Runestones, though there are no details yet, other than that they will use old Runestones in the process. It will also be possible to [[salvage]] unneeded Runestones for magical materials, and even make new ones from scratch.

It's not known if the Mystic can upgrade the quality of runestones though, as the [[jeweler]] can by combining three [[gems]] of the same type/level to create one of the next higher level.

==Easy Socketing==

[[Image:Runestone_ui.jpg|frame|The [[interface]] for runestone socketing.]]
Socketed runestones will be freely swappable. Players will be able to replace runestones at any time, at no cost and without risk of losing the runestone. The [[D3 Team]] has committed to easy runestone swapping in the final game, but they have said there will be some sort of limitation, purely to prevent macro-switching exploits. They want swapping to be easy and forgiving, but not something that can be done automatically by a third party program, which could lead to constant, effortless switching, which they think of as contrary to their intended style of play.

The team has not yet revealed what form this limitation will take, but it could be something as simple as requiring players to return to town, or to use one of the [[Artisans]] to switch out runes.

==Confirmed Runestone Examples==

While one or two rune properties are known (or can be easily guessed) for most skills, Blizzard has only revealed all five runestone effects for a few skills. There may yet be additional changes to these effects, as development continues up to and even after release. With the release of the Beta, Blizzard revealed the [http://us.battle.net/d3/en/calculator/ build calculator], which has detailed information on all of the current rune enhancements. See below for some examples (historical and current).

===Plague of Toads===

[[File:Runes-plague-of-toads-all.jpg|thumb|400px|Plague of Toads rune options.]]
The rune functions for [[Plague of Toads]], a [[Witch Doctor skill]] were revealed during a panel discussion at Blizzcon 2010. The basic skill has the Witch Doctor throwing out several toads, which hop forwards in erratic, [[Charged Bolt]]-esque fashion.

* [[Alabaster rune]]: The toads also blind enemies.
* [[Crimson rune]]: Flaming toads add fire damage to their attack.
* [[Golden rune]]: Reduced cost per cast.
* [[Indigo rune]]: Changes the skill to a rain of toads, which fall down on the targeted location.
* [[Obsidian rune]]: Summons a single, huge, stationary frog that uses a sticky tongue to capture and consume monsters in one gulp. It spits out the treasure and items. The mega-toad can eat [[Champions]] (possibly only at higher/highest rune level?), but not [[bosses]] or (presumably) bigger enemies.

===Poison Dart===

The rune functions for [[Poison Dart]], a [[Witch Doctor skill]], were revealed during a panel discussion at [[BlizzCon 2010]]. The basic skill is a fairly slow-working spell that fires a single poison dart that deals poison damage and some [[DoT]].
* [[Alabaster rune]]: Blows out a face-biting snake that stuns the target
* [[Crimson rune]]: Adds fire damage to the poison dart.
* [[Golden rune]]: Steals [[mana]] with each dart hit.
* [[Indigo rune]]: Fires multiple darts.
** Level One: Two darts.
** Level Two: Four darts.
* [[Obsidian rune]]: Slows the poisoned target.

===Hydra===

[[File:Runes-hydra-all.jpg|thumb|400px|Hydra skill rune effects.]]
The rune functions for [[Hydra]], a [[Wizard skill]] were revealed during a panel discussion at Blizzcon 2010. The basic skill summons a fiery dragon that breaks through the earth and spits firebolts at nearby enemies.

* [[Alabaster rune]]: Turns the Hydra purple and the damage type to Arcane.
* [[Crimson rune]]: Turns the Hydra blue and the damage type to a short-range chilling frost spray.
* [[Golden rune]]: Creates a giant hydra that deals higher damage via AoE Firewalls.
* [[Indigo rune]]: Turns the hydra blue and the projectiles to lightning balls that never miss.
* [[Obsidian rune]]: Turns the hydra green and the damage to a splashing poison acid.

This Hydra information was revealed at Blizzcon in October 2010. It shows changes even since August, when one of Hydra's rune effects was a faster/multishot, instead of the Acid element.

These bonuses also show how unpredictable the effects are. By previous knowledge and logic, Crimson should be the +damage/firewalls effect, since it generally adds damage and/or fire effects. Possibly the developers are shuffling rune bonuses around randomly, in order to make the runes equivalently useful. Rather than, for instance, allowing Crimson to be the most useful and Golden the least, on the whole.

===Throw Weapon===

The rune functions for [[Throw Weapon]], a [[Barbarian skill]], were revealed during a panel discussion at Blizzcon 2010. The basic skill is a ranged attack in which the Barbarian is able to hurl his weapon with distance and accuracy. The weapon magically reappears in his hands after each toss.

* [[Alabaster rune]]: Enemies struck by the weapon grow confused.
* [[Crimson rune]]: Adds damage to the thrown weapon.
* [[Golden rune]]: Throws a monster corpse rather than the weapon. Less range, but bigger damage.
* [[Indigo rune]]: Adds ricochet, allowing the weapon to strike multiple targets.
* [[Obsidian rune]]: Throws a stunning hammer, rather than the equipped weapon.

==Runestone Videos==

In May 2011 Blizzard released a set of five videos, one for each of the classes, demonstrating various runestones in a single skill each.

===Barbarian's [[Whirlwind]]===

<youtube>uASjbyfo3eo</youtube>

===Demon Hunter's [[Cluster Arrow]]===

<youtube>V0C_15IzneY</youtube>

===Monk's [[Sweeping Wind]]===

<youtube>R8gfPFuWs6g</youtube>

===Witch Doctor's [[Acid Cloud]]===

<youtube>rWJhV31TY8U</youtube>

===Wizard's [[Ray of Frost]]===

<youtube>k2Uo2X8iF0U</youtube>

==Media==

Various images of Runestones and Rune Effects.

<gallery>
Image:New_Rune_Socket.png|Rune Socket]
Image:Rune-minor-hydra1.jpg|The since-renamed Hydra Rune.
File:Runestone1.jpg|Crimson rune, August 2010 design.
</gallery>

==References==
<references/>

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