No Rest for the Wicked: All Runes, how to equip, and what they do

Time to Focus.

Surviving the harsh world of No Rest for the Wicked requires more than weapons. Enhancements come in all forms in the game, such as Runes. Here’s how to find and equip all the Runes in No Rest for the Wicked, along with what they do.

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Runes are magical artifacts in No Rest for the Wicked and become available to you once you meet with Eleanor in Sacrament. She can sell Runes, slot them into weapons, and extract them — all for a modest fee. Runes are powerful items that grant you special abilities powered by focus. They can either aid you in battle or assist in some other way.

How to equip Runes in No Rest for the Wicked

Runes won’t be available in No Rest for the Wicked until you defeat Warrick the Torn and enter the city of Sacrament for the first time. You’ll find the Rune master herself, Eleanor, next to her stall in the market district not far from the Forge:

All Runes in No Rest for the Wicked and what they do - meeting with eleanor
Screenshot by Destructoid

Eleanor can slot gems and Runes into your weapons for a price. She sells a variety of Runes, which cost one to two silver pieces each. To equip Runes, you must have one purchased along with a weapon that has a free Rune slot. Next, while speaking with Eleanor, navigate to the ‘Rune’ tab and select the weapon of choice. Highlight an empty slot and choose the Rune you want to equip.

All Runes in No Rest for the Wicked and what they do - how to slot runes
Screenshot by Destructoid

You can extract a Rune, but doing so destroys the weapon in the process. Make sure you don’t need the weapon any longer before doing this.

All Rune in No Rest for the Wicked and what they do

There are five Runes to purchase in No Rest for the Wicked. While it’s fairly obvious what some of the Runes do (two have ‘healing’ in their names, so that’s easy), others aren’t as clear.

Here is the list of Runes in the game, followed by what they do:

  • Pulse of Health
  • Channel
  • Heal Aura
  • Repair
  • Return

Pulse of Health

Pulse of Health heals you for a small amount and then keeps slowly healing for a minute. It costs 100 Focus to use.

Channel

From what I can tell, Channel is a Charged Spell that allows you to trade a small amount of health for 50 Focus. It doesn’t cost focus to use, and it doesn’t work if your focus bar is full. Channel seems like a risky gamble, but it may be what you need to deal that finishing blow.

Heal Aura

Heal Aura is what it says on the tin: An aura that heals for a small amount. Its wide range suggests it’ll be ideal for co-op play, where you can heal your buddies during or between combat encounters. You can use it for 2 Focus to heal a sliver of health, or hold it down for the full charge, costing 50 Focus.

All Runes in No Rest for the Wicked and what they do - Heal aura rune
Heal Aura in action. | Screenshot by Destructoid

Repair

Repair will repair your weapons and items by a small amount. This one is a bit useless unless you find yourself in a bit of a bind.

Return

Return allows you to warp back to the last Cerim Whisper you used. It costs 25 Focus, making it one of the cheapest Runes to use. It is a Channel Spell, which takes about five seconds to finish. Don’t try and warp away when surrounded by foes.

That about wraps up all we know on Runes. You can equip multiple per weapon, but it may be best to wait until you upgrade your Focus bar a bit more before overdoing it.

About The Author
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Cameron Woolsey
A contributing writer, Cam has been playing games for decades and writing about them for about 15 years. He specializes in action RPGs, shooters, and brawlers, but will always make a little bit of time for indies and classics.
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