The Runeword system in Path of Idle: Old Gods Rising is a useful way to give your Godsworn access to skills that normally belong to other classes. By placing the correct combination of Runes into a triple-socket Common item, you can unlock skills that your current class may not normally have.
This can be especially helpful when your build needs something specific, such as a shield, minions, healing, buffs, or debuffs.
In this guide, I’ll explain how Runewords work, what equipment you need, how the Rune combinations work, where to get triple-socket gear and Runes, and how to actually create a Runeword.
Path of Idle Old Gods Rising Runeword Guide
Runewords allow you to obtain an active skill from another class by socketing a specific Rune sequence into a suitable three-socket Common item.
For example, if your current class doesn’t normally have access to a particular healing or defensive skill, you may be able to use Runeword to add that skill to your build.
I find this system becomes much more interesting in the mid-to-late game because your build requirements become more specific. Once you’re pushing harder stages, having access to a skill that your class normally doesn’t provide can make a big difference.
You can technically use Runewords earlier if you meet the requirements, though. So if you want to experiment with different builds, there’s nothing stopping you from trying the system sooner.
Why You Shouldn’t Waste Runes
Before you start spending all your Runes, there is an important downside to keep in mind.
Runes aren’t particularly easy to farm because every Rune Bag can roll from a pool of 24 different Runes. You can’t simply choose the exact Rune you need whenever you want.
Rune quality also changes as you progress through chapters. This means older Rune tiers can eventually become less useful as your equipment requirements increase.
There is also another opportunity cost because Runes can be used as currency in Market > Vault to obtain guaranteed high-rarity items.
So, I would avoid spending valuable Runes on Runewords unless you actually need the skill for your build.
Runeword Rules and Requirements
There are a few important rules you need to understand before creating a Runeword.
Only Common Equipment Can Have Triple Sockets
Only Common rarity equipment can have the three sockets required for a Runeword.
This means you can’t simply take any Legendary or Mythic item and add a Runeword to it.
Socketed Equipment Cannot Be Refined
Once an item has sockets, you cannot refine it.
That means its rarity cannot be increased through refinement.
When you create a Runeword, however, the equipment changes to Magic rarity and turns purple. This appears to be primarily a visual change rather than a normal refinement process.
You Can Still Forge Runeword Equipment
The good news is that Runeword equipment can still be forged after the Runeword has been created.
So, adding a Runeword doesn’t completely prevent you from improving the item afterward.
Attack and Defense Runes
Runes are divided into two basic categories:
- Attack Runes — the pentagon points upward.
- Defense Runes — the pentagon points downward and looks similar to a shield.
The names of the individual Runes are important for identifying them, but you generally don’t need to memorize every name.
Since there currently isn’t a reliable way to target-farm a specific Rune, the main thing you need to watch is whether the Rune you need is missing.
If it is missing, your best option is generally to keep farming Rune Bags until you eventually get it.
Rune Quality Matters
The required Rune quality depends on the level of the equipment you’re trying to socket.
The quality of the Runes also affects the talent level of the skill you receive.
Higher-quality Runes generally give you a better chance of getting a higher talent level, although the exact talent level has a range.
Runeword Skills Cannot Receive Talent Points
One important limitation is that you cannot assign Talent Points to skills obtained through Runeword.
So, while you can add another class’s active skill to your build, you don’t get the same level of talent customization that you would have with a normal class skill.
Skill Requirements Still Apply
Runeword doesn’t remove the normal requirements of a skill.
For example, if the skill requires health or mana reservation, you’ll still need to meet those requirements after obtaining it through Runeword.
Runeword Item Stats
The stats on your Runeword item are determined by the Runes used to create it.
You can hover over a Rune to see the potential affixes that can appear on the resulting equipment.
Because of this, don’t just look at the skill you’re trying to obtain. The Runes can also affect the final stats of the item.
Runeword Rune Combinations
The Rune sequence determines which type of equipment you can use.
There are four possible combinations currently listed.
Up, Up, Up
Rune sequence: Up → Up → Up
Equipment:
- Weapons
- Amulets
- Rings
These combinations are used for the offensive-style equipment slots.
Up, Up, Down
Rune sequence: Up → Up → Down
Equipment:
- Weapons
- Amulets
- Rings
This is another sequence that works with weapons, amulets, and rings.
Up, Down, Down
Rune sequence: Up → Down → Down
Equipment:
- Helmets
- Torsos
- Gloves
- Boots
These combinations are used for your main armor equipment.
Down, Down, Down
Rune sequence: Down → Down → Down
Equipment:
- Helmets
- Torsos
- Gloves
- Boots
A simple way I remember these is that the combinations with more defensive, downward-pointing Runes are associated with your clothing and armor.
How to Get Triple Socket Equipment
There are currently three main ways to get the triple-socket Common equipment you need:
- Market
- Forging
- Chests
Each method has its own advantages and disadvantages.
Getting Triple Socket Gear From the Market
Personally, I find the Market one of the easiest ways to search for triple-socket items.
The biggest advantage is that you can use the Market settings and automatic search function to repeatedly look for the type of equipment you need.
You can also search for specific base stats at the same time, which is useful if you’re trying to build a particular setup.
Another nice benefit is that you may discover other useful items, such as Legendaries, Sets, Uniques, or Mythics while refreshing the Market.
And, of course, if you find the exact triple-socket Common item you need, you can simply buy it without having to forge it yourself.
The downside is that you may have to roll through a lot of equipment categories before finding the exact item you want.
Forging Triple Socket Gear
The second option is Forging.
This is useful if you already have a Common item with stats you really like and want to try adding sockets to that specific piece.
The main advantages are that you can target your preferred item and potentially get the sockets without spending too many coins if you’re lucky.
The downside is pretty obvious: it’s RNG.
Sockets aren’t guaranteed, and forging can become expensive.
Forging also has a +50 cap, so you can potentially spend a lot of coins without getting the socket combination you need.
You also need to have a suitable Common item ready before you start.
Getting Triple Socket Gear From Chests
Chests are another option, and I think this is probably the most convenient method if you’re an idle player.
You can leave the game running on stages overnight and come back later to a large number of chests.
Once you’ve accumulated enough, you can open a huge batch and search through the resulting equipment.
The inventory filter is also useful because you can configure it to automatically keep or sell certain types of equipment.
The downside is that this takes time, and your inventory can become very crowded even when your filters are configured properly.
There’s also an opportunity cost because Common chests can be combined into higher-rarity chests, which may be more useful if you’re specifically hunting for high-rarity equipment.
How to Get Runes
You have a few options when it comes to farming Runes.
Regular Chapter Stages
You can obtain Rune Bags by running normal chapter stages.
As you progress into higher-level stages, the chance of getting higher-quality Rune Bags increases.
So, if you’re actively progressing through the game, this is one of the natural ways to build up your Rune collection.
Exploration Rune Nodes
You can also target Rune Nodes in Exploration.
This is worth checking if you specifically want to increase your Rune Bag supply rather than simply relying on general stage farming.
Combine Rune Bags
Another option is combining lower-rarity Rune Bags into higher-rarity bags.
You’ll need the appropriate Sanctum building upgrades to do this.
This can be useful when you have accumulated a large number of lower-tier bags and want to turn them into better ones.
How to Create a Runeword
Once you have the required Rune sequence and a suitable triple-socket Common item, creating the Runeword is fairly simple.
Step 1: Open the Workshop
Go to Workshop > Socketing.
From there, select the Runeword option.
Step 2: Find the Skill You Want
Look through the available Runeword skills and find the one you want to add to your build.
Hover over the skill to open its tooltip.
The tooltip will show you the Rune sequence required for that particular skill.
You can also find this information through the Codex.
Step 3: Check the Rune Sequence
Look at the Rune icons shown at the bottom of the skill tooltip.
These tell you exactly which combination you need.
Remember that the orientation matters:
- Up = Attack Rune
- Down = Defense Rune
Step 4: Get the Correct Triple-Socket Item
Once you know the Rune sequence, obtain a triple-socket Common item that matches the required equipment category.
For example, if the skill requires an Up, Down, Down sequence, you’ll need a suitable armor item such as a helmet, torso, glove, or boots.
Step 5: Put the Item in the Workshop
Place your triple-socket item into the Workshop.
Then return to the Socketing section and select the Runeword skill you want.
Step 6: Check the Requirements
Make sure you have all the required Runes and that they meet the required quality for your equipment.
If everything is correct, the Socketing option will become available.
Step 7: Create the Runeword
Click Socketing.
That’s it.
Your item will become a Runeword item, and the new skill will be added to your character.
You can then equip the item to your Godsworn and check the skill at the top row of the Talents page, where the normally empty skill slots are located.
The Runeword system gives you a lot more flexibility when building your Godsworn.
The biggest advantage is being able to borrow useful active skills from other classes. This can be extremely valuable when you reach stages where your normal class toolkit isn’t quite enough to handle the content.
That said, I wouldn’t recommend spending all your Runes on Runewords just because you can. Rune Bags can take time to farm, and Runes also have value elsewhere.
I’d start looking into Runewords once you have a specific skill in mind that solves a problem with your build. Then find the required Rune sequence, get the appropriate triple-socket Common item, and create the Runeword once you’re confident it’s worth the investment.
For me, the biggest thing to remember is simple: skill first, Rune sequence second, equipment third. Once you understand those three parts, the Runeword system becomes much easier to work with.