Witcher 3 Runes and Runewords: Every Enchantment and the Best Ones to Use
Every runestone, how to unlock the Ofieri runewright, all runewords and glyphwords with recipes and effects, and the best enchantments for your Witcher 3 build.
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Updated October 2026. Runes are the small stones you slot into your swords for extra stats. Runewords and glyphwords, added in the Hearts of Stone expansion, go further: a runewright combines three runes or glyphs into one powerful enchantment. This guide covers every runestone, how to unlock enchanting, all runewords and glyphwords, and which ones are worth the money.
Quick answer
Runes go into empty slots on swords (glyphs go into armor) and each adds a small bonus. Runewords (swords) and glyphwords (chest armor) are made by the Ofieri runewright at the Upper Mill near Brunwich, unlocked through the Hearts of Stone quests Enchanting: Start-up Costs and Enchanting: Quality Has Its Price. Unlocking all three enchantment levels costs 30,000 crowns. Best picks: Replenishment or Invigoration for swords, Protection for armor, and Preservation if you love grindstone bonuses.
Runestones: what each one does
Runestones come in three tiers. Put them into the empty slots of a sword in your inventory. Treat slotting as permanent and save your greater runestones for the swords you plan to keep.
| Runestone | Bonus (lesser / regular / greater) |
|---|---|
| Svarog | +10 / +20 / +30 armor piercing |
| Chernobog | +2% / 3% / 5% Attack Power |
| Veles | +2% / 3% / 5% Sign intensity |
| Perun | +2% / 3% / 5% Adrenaline gain |
| Dazhbog | 2% / 3% / 5% chance to cause burning |
| Devana | 2% / 3% / 5% chance to cause bleeding |
| Morana | 2% / 3% / 5% chance to poison |
| Stribog | 2% / 3% / 5% chance to stagger |
| Triglav | 2% / 3% / 5% chance to stun |
| Zoria | 2% / 3% / 5% chance to freeze |
Armor uses glyphs instead of runes. They work the same way and also come in lesser, regular and greater versions.
How to unlock the runewright
- Read the notice A Runewright Upon Your Shores Has Landed on the Seven Cats Inn notice board near Novigrad (Hearts of Stone required).
- Visit the Ofieri runewright at his tent by the Upper Mill near Brunwich and pay him 5,000 crowns (Enchanting: Start-up Costs).
- He then needs jade (Enchanting: Quality Has Its Price). Take the pickaxe from the nearby barn and check the marked caves north of Novigrad; only one has enough jade. Expect arachnomorphs inside.
- Bring the jade back. He can now make level 1 enchantments and works as an amateur craftsman.
- Pay 10,000 crowns more for level 2 (and journeyman crafting), then 15,000 for level 3 (and master crafting).
Rules for runewords and glyphwords
- Runewords go on swords and glyphwords on chest armor, and the item needs at least 3 slots. The runewright can add slots for a fee.
- An enchantment fills every slot and removes any runes or glyphs already there.
- A runeword only works while that sword is drawn, so you need it on both swords to have it all the time. Preservation is the exception.
- Upgrading witcher gear to the next tier destroys the enchantment. Enchant your final version.
All runewords (swords)
| Runeword | Level | Runestones needed | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Preservation | 1 | Lesser Svarog, lesser Devana, lesser Morana | Armorer's table and grindstone bonuses never expire. |
| Placation | 1 | Lesser Devana, lesser Morana, lesser Stribog | At max Adrenaline, points slowly drain while Vitality and Stamina regenerate faster and Toxicity falls faster. |
| Dumplings | 1 | Pyerog and Tvarog runestones | Food restores 400% more Vitality (and everything tastes like pierogi). |
| Elation | 2 | Dazhbog, Veles, Devana | Fatal sword blows give 0.1 to 0.25 Adrenaline Points. |
| Rejuvenation | 2 | Perun, Svarog, Stribog | Each fatal blow restores 25% Stamina. |
| Severance | 2 | Zoria, Veles, Perun | Longer range for Whirl and Rend. |
| Invigoration | 3 | Greater Devana, Zoria, Perun | At full Vitality, regeneration turns into bonus damage (up to +50%) on your next hit. |
| Prolongation | 3 | Greater Morana, Perun, Svarog | Each unblocked hit adds 0.5 seconds to active potions. |
| Replenishment | 3 | Greater Triglav, Morana, Dazhbog | Casting a Sign uses an Adrenaline Point to charge your next sword attack with that Sign. |
All glyphwords (chest armor)
| Glyphword | Level | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Deflection | 1 | Armor deflects all arrows. |
| Depletion | 1 | Aard drains 100% of enemies' Stamina. |
| Heft | 1 | All armor counts as heavy armor. |
| Ignition | 1 | Burning enemies ignite others within 2 yards. |
| Usurpation | 1 | When an Axii-controlled enemy dies, the effect jumps to the nearest target. |
| Balance | 2 | All armor counts as medium armor. |
| Beguilement | 2 | Axii lasts 2 seconds longer for each hit the target lands. |
| Entanglement | 2 | Yrden traps leave a new Yrden glyph where they hit. |
| Protection | 2 | You start every fight with a free Quen shield. |
| Rotation | 2 | Igni's basic attack hits all enemies around you. |
| Eruption | 3 | Enemies burned by Igni explode when they die, igniting others. |
| Levity | 3 | All armor counts as light armor. |
| Possession | 3 | Axii jumps to a new target when the old one dies, and lasts longer per hit. |
| Retribution | 3 | 30% chance to reflect part of the damage you take. |
Best runewords and glyphwords
- Replenishment (runeword, level 3): the best choice for Sign and hybrid builds, since every Sign also powers your next strike.
- Invigoration (runeword, level 3): big damage for players who avoid getting hit.
- Preservation (runeword, level 1): cheap and great value; grindstone and armorer's table buffs last forever.
- Protection (glyphword, level 2): a free Quen at the start of every fight suits any build.
- Levity, Balance or Heft (glyphwords): change your armor's weight class to match the skills or set you want to use.
- Eruption (glyphword, level 3): the pick for Igni-focused Sign builds.
Did Witcher 3 Remastered change runes?
CD Projekt Red's official notes for the Remastered upgrade (September 29, 2026) do not mention runes, runewords or glyphwords, so everything above comes from the Complete Edition. Check the in-game descriptions if numbers look different on your version.
Frequently Asked Questions
QWhere is the runewright in Witcher 3?
The Ofieri runewright sets up his tent by the Upper Mill near Brunwich, in the Velen area north of Novigrad. You need the Hearts of Stone expansion.
QHow much does the runewright cost?
5,000 crowns to start, then 10,000 for level 2 and 15,000 for level 3: 30,000 crowns in total, plus a hunk of jade.
QWhat is the best runeword in Witcher 3?
For most builds Replenishment or Invigoration. Preservation is the best cheap option.
QDo runewords work on both swords?
No. A runeword only works while that sword is drawn, so add it to both swords if you want it all the time. Preservation is the exception.
QWhat happens to my runes when I add a runeword?
The enchantment takes up every slot and the runes already in the item are removed.
Runestone values, enchantment recipes and runewright costs checked against the Witcher Wiki pages for Runestone, Enchanting, Enchanting: Start-up Costs and Enchanting: Quality Has Its Price, and CD Projekt Red's Remastered notes, in October 2026.
Kai Mercer covers game news, free games, release calendars and guides for xGamerss.
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