Rune

''This article is only about rune as applied to armor. Information on the rune for bags is in the Rune of Holding article.''

A rune is a kind of upgrade item that is applied to a character's armor.

Availability
Runes can be obtained by using an Expert Salvage Kit or Superior Salvage Kit on Salvage Items such as Ettin's Pauldrons or Seeker's Vests. Only a non-white salvage item can have a rune. A blue salvage item will always have a minor rune. A purple salvage item will always have a major rune. A gold salvage item will always have a superior rune. Salvage items containing runes for campaign-specific professions can only be obtained in their respective campaigns. If you salvage the salvage item before identifying it, you will receive an unidentified rune.

Runes are also available for purchase from rune traders in cities. Since you are not identifying the rune if you buy it from a trader, you do not unlock the rune for PvP. Rune traders will not always have high demand runes in stock.

You can also unlock runes at a Priest of Balthazar. This only unlocks the rune for PvP and does not put one into your inventory.

Note on trading for armors that have runes:
 * Prior to the June 1, 2006 Update, "gold" dropped armors did not indicate the magnitude the rune (Superior/Major/Minor) they contained.  Because of this, be aware that "gold" armors do not necesarily contain a superior rune.  To protect yourself from this, insist upon trading for the expert salvaged (and unidentified) runes instead, or you may find that those "gold" armors actually contain major runes, which are generally nearly worthless, instead of the superior runes you expected.

Runes can only be attached to armour...

Types
Runes come in three classes:
 * Attribute runes provide a bonus to a single attribute such as Fire Magic or Strength. You can only use attribute runes for attributes of your primary profession.
 * Absorption runes provide damage reduction against physical damage. Only primary Warriors may use these.
 * Vigor runes provide a bonus to Health. They are not linked to any profession and thus can be equipped by everyone. These are the only runes that can be accurately determined without identifying them, as their icons are unique.

For each type, there are three degrees of potency (Minor, Major and Superior). They affect each type as follows:
 * Attribute runes:
 * Minor provide +1 to an attribute.
 * Major provide +2 to an attribute and -35 health.*
 * Superior provide +3 to an attribute and -75 health.
 * Absorption runes:
 * Minor provide 1 damage reduction against physical damage.
 * Major provide 2 damage reduction against physical damage.
 * Superior provide 3 damage reduction against physical damage.
 * Vigor runes:
 * Minor provide +30 health.
 * Major provide +41 health.
 * Superior provide +50 health.

A rune's icon is a piece of parchment with a symbol on it. Runes linked to the same profession have the same symbol and vigor runes have their own symbol. The shape of the parchment varies with the potency of the rune. Linked runes have their profession noted in their name, even if not identified. For example, an identified "Mesmer Major Rune of Fast Casting" or unidentified "Necromancer Rune." So, if a rune is not identified, you can still tell which profession it is for (or if it is a vigor rune) and its potency.

* Prior to the June 1, 2006 Update, Major runes had a -50 health penalty. Runes that existed before this date keep the higher penalty, and cannot be sold to Rune Traders.

Use
To use a rune, double-click it and then click on the piece of armor you want to apply it to. Only one rune can be placed on a single piece of armor at a time. If you apply a rune to a piece of armor that already has one, it will replace the old rune (after asking you to confirm the replacement). You can only use runes linked to your primary profession (Vigor runes are linked to all professions). For example, a Monk/Ranger could not use a rune of Minor Marksmanship, while a Ranger/Monk could.

Stacking
Vigor runes, absorption runes, and runes affecting the same attribute do not stack within their own type. You can only receive the benefit of the highest potency rune from each. However, health penalties from all attached runes will stack.

Example: A Rune of Minor Vigor adds +30 Health. If you attach one to your chest armor and another to your head armor, you will only gain a bonus of +30 health. If you then attach a Rune of Major Vigor to your hand armor, you will only gain a bonus of +41 health; the two minor runes will effectively be overridden by the higher-potency rune.

Headgear that provides +1 to attributes does stack with runes. For example, a Wicked Scar Pattern (+1 Curses) with a Superior Rune of Curses applied to it would add a total of +4 to your Curses attribute. Note that absorption runes stack with the effects of Knight's Armor or Ascalon Armor.

Update: As of the August 12 Update, all Runes now have "(non-stacking)" in their description.

Recovery
You can use an Expert Salvage Kit or a Superior Salvage Kit on armor that you have attached a rune to in order to attempt to recover the rune. This will destroy the armor and either recover the rune or salvage materials.

Note: As with all other items obtained from character creation, starter armor cannot be salvaged to recover runes. However, collector's armor can be salvaged to recover runes.

If you want to keep the armor but change the rune currently on it, simply apply a new rune to the armor. The new rune will replace the old one.