Witcher 3 Runewright Guide: How to Unlock Enchanting and Every Runeword and Glyphword
Witcher 3 Runewright guide: where to find him, the 30,000-crown cost, the jade in Bloodrot Pit, and every runeword and glyphword with what it does.
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Updated October 2026. The Runewright is the Ofieri craftsman who unlocks enchanting in Hearts of Stone: special runewords for swords and glyphwords for armor that are far stronger than regular runes. Getting him fully working costs 30,000 crowns and a trip to a cave full of arachnomorphs. Here's how to unlock him, what every enchantment does, and which ones are worth it.
Quick answer
Where: his tent at the Upper Mill near Brunwich. The quest starts from a notice at the Seven Cats Inn.
Total cost: 5,000 crowns to start, then 10,000 for level 2 and 15,000 for level 3 (30,000 in all).
Jade: grab the pickaxe from the nearby barn and mine the jade in Bloodrot Pit, the middle of three marked spots.
Requirements: enchantments only go on swords and chest armor with 3 slots, and they replace any runes or glyphs already in them.
Rewards: 100 XP for the jade, plus 100 XP for each of the two later payments.
How to Unlock the Runewright
1. Enchanting: Start-up Costs
Read the runewright's notice on the Seven Cats Inn board (the same board that starts Hearts of Stone), then visit his tent at the Upper Mill near Brunwich. He lost his tools at sea. Give him 5,000 crowns; that's only the start, and the quest ends with no reward of its own. If you need the money first, see our best ways to make money.
2. Enchanting: Quality Has Its Price
Next he needs jade. Take the pickaxe from the barn nearby and head to the locations marked far east, north of Novigrad. Three spots are marked, but only Bloodrot Pit (the middle one) has enough jade, and it's the only one with enemies. Fight through the arachnomorphs and mine the jade at the base of the pillar in the center of the first cave area. Bring it back (100 XP) and he sets up a workstation.
Just inside the cave entrance, you can loot a corpse that starts the side quest The Drakenborg Redemption.
| Payment | Unlocks | XP |
|---|---|---|
| 5,000 crowns | Starts the quest line | — |
| Jade delivered | Level 1 enchantments; amateur craftsman | 100 |
| 10,000 crowns | Level 2 enchantments; journeyman craftsman | 100 |
| 15,000 crowns | Level 3 enchantments; master craftsman | 100 |
Underleveled? The Witcher Wiki describes a risky way to get the jade early: meditate outside Bloodrot Pit until only one arachnomorph guards the entrance, kill it, sneak to the jade (Geralt can't be hurt while mining) and run. It takes several attempts.
How Enchanting Works
- Runewords go on swords, glyphwords on chest armor. The item needs 3 slots.
- For a fee, the Runewright adds up to 3 slots to swords and chest armor, and up to 2 to other armor pieces (each item has its own limit).
- An enchantment fills all slots and removes existing runes or glyphs at no extra charge.
- A runeword only works while that sword is drawn. To have it on both swords, enchant both.
All Runewords (Swords)
| Runeword | Level | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Dumplings | 1 | Food restores 400% more Vitality, but everything tastes like pierogi. |
| Placation | 1 | At maximum Adrenaline, points slowly drain while Vitality and Stamina regenerate faster and Toxicity drops faster. |
| Preservation | 1 | Armorer's Table and Grindstone bonuses never expire. |
| Elation | 2 | Fatal blows give 0.1–0.25 Adrenaline Points. |
| Rejuvenation | 2 | Each fatal blow restores 25% of your Stamina. |
| Severance | 2 | Whirl reaches 1.1 yards farther and Rend 1.9 yards farther. |
| Invigoration | 3 | At full Vitality, Vitality regeneration becomes extra damage (up to +50%) on your next strike. |
| Prolongation | 3 | Each unblocked blow extends your potions by 0.5 seconds. |
| Replenishment | 3 | After casting a Sign, an Adrenaline Point is used and your next sword attack carries that Sign's power. |
All Glyphwords (Chest Armor)
| Glyphword | Level | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Deflection | 1 | Your armor deflects all arrows. |
| Depletion | 1 | Aard drains 100% of enemies' Stamina. |
| Heft | 1 | All equipped armor counts as Heavy Armor. |
| Ignition | 1 | Enemies set alight by Igni always ignite others within 2 yards. |
| Usurpation | 1 | When an enemy under Axii dies, the effect passes to the nearest target. |
| Balance | 2 | All equipped armor counts as Medium Armor. |
| Beguilement | 2 | Axii lasts 2 seconds longer for each blow the affected enemy lands. |
| Entanglement | 2 | When a Yrden trap hits an enemy, a new Yrden glyph appears there. |
| Protection | 2 | You get a free Quen shield every time combat starts. |
| Rotation | 2 | Igni's basic attack hits all enemies around you (360°). |
| Eruption | 3 | Enemies set alight by Igni explode when they die and ignite others nearby. |
| Levity | 3 | All equipped armor counts as Light Armor. |
| Possession | 3 | Axii jumps to a nearby target when the affected enemy dies, and lasts longer for each blow it lands. |
| Retribution | 3 | 30% chance to return part of the damage you take to the attacker. |
Which Enchantments Are Worth It?
There's no single best one; it depends on your build (see our skills guide and signs guide). Based on what they do:
| Build | Good picks | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Combat (fast and strong attacks) | Severance, Invigoration, Rejuvenation | More reach for Whirl and Rend, bonus damage at full health, Stamina back on kills |
| Signs | Replenishment; Eruption or Rotation on armor | Sign power on sword hits; Igni crowd control |
| Alchemy | Prolongation, Placation | Longer potions; faster Toxicity drop |
| Any build, early | Preservation; Protection on armor | Repair-table bonuses that never expire; a free Quen at the start of every fight |
| Armor-type perks | Heft, Balance or Levity | Lets every piece count as the armor type your skills reward |
Want better base gear to enchant? See our Grandmaster smith guide.
Video: Runewright Explained
Frequently Asked Questions
QWhere is the Runewright in The Witcher 3?
In his tent at the Upper Mill near Brunwich. You need the Hearts of Stone expansion.
QHow much does the Runewright cost?
30,000 crowns in total: 5,000 to start, 10,000 for level 2 and 15,000 for level 3, plus the jade from Bloodrot Pit.
QWhere is the jade for the Runewright?
In Bloodrot Pit, the middle of the three marked locations north of Novigrad, at the base of the pillar in the first cave area.
QWhy can't I enchant my sword?
It needs 3 slots. The Runewright can add slots for a fee. Only swords and chest armor can take runewords and glyphwords.
QDo runewords work on both swords?
Only on the sword they're applied to, and only while it's drawn. Enchant both swords if you want the effect on each.
More: how to start Hearts of Stone and all Witcher 3 quests.
Sources: in-game quest text and journal; costs, steps and every enchantment effect checked against the Witcher Wiki pages for Enchanting: Start-up Costs, Enchanting: Quality Has Its Price and Enchanting. Screenshots: gameplay frames from YouTube walkthroughs by Gwendeith, MeHow, Quick Tips and Grubmagnet Gaming.
Kai Mercer covers game news, free games, release calendars and guides for xGamerss.
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