Pair One Ritual Rune with One Invocation Rune
A Diablo 4 Runeword paired a Ritual Rune and an Invocation Rune in the same equipped item with two sockets. The Ritual supplied a trigger that generated Offering; the Invocation spent Offering to produce its listed effect. The system allowed up to two Runewords, or four Runes total.
This is a historical reference to the September 2024 patch 2.0 PTR preview and the October 2024 launch changes, checked on October 28, 2026. The complete preview lists preserve their original values. They are not current 2026 tooltips or build recommendations.
Blizzard's official 2.0 PTR overview described a September 4-11, 2024 PC test, with Runes available from September 6. Outside that PTR, access to Runewords required Vessel of Hatred.
Socket Rules That Determined Whether a Pair Worked
- Use one eligible item with two sockets. The preview gave chest armor, leg armor and two-handed weapons as examples, and added a second socket to helms. It did not give every equipment slot two sockets.
- Place one Rune of each type in that item. Splitting a Ritual and its intended Invocation across different items did not form one Runeword.
- Equip the item and meet the Ritual's actual condition. A trigger based on a cooldown skill, movement or a particular combat condition needed that action.
- Respect the two-word limit and duplicate restriction. The same Rune could not be equipped twice. For example, BacJah and BacOhm repeated Bac, so they were not a valid simultaneous pair of Runewords.
Patch 2.0.2 also specified how swapping worked: inserting a Gem into an item containing Runes removed its Runes, and inserting a Rune into an item containing Gems removed its Gems. Gems and Runes could be swapped without visiting the Jeweler, and unsocketing no longer cost gold.
Any Ritual could be paired with any Invocation, but a compatible pair was not automatically useful for every build. Choose a trigger your character could perform consistently and an effect that served the intended purpose.
Offering, Cooldowns and Genuine Overflow Bonuses
The preview's BacJah example made the resource cycle clear: Bac generated 50 Offering per 5 meters traveled, while Jah required 500 Offering and listed a two-second cooldown. Once enough Offering was generated, the next Evade became the Sorcerer's Teleport. A short movement trigger therefore contributed to the requirement rather than granting a Teleport on every five-meter movement.
The image preserves the PTR's 500-Offering Jah. Patch 2.0.1 reduced that cost to 400. Open the full-size September PTR tooltip to inspect its text; the mechanic and version difference are also written here for smaller screens.
Overflow applied only when the Invocation listed an Overflow bonus. Depending on the Rune, extra Offering could extend a duration, add stacks or summons, enlarge an effect, or improve another stated result. The preview's Jah entry did not list an Overflow bonus, so its extra Offering was not evidence of a universal cooldown-reduction effect.
The original YulGar pairing was also a valid preview example: Yul generated Offering from using a cooldown skill, and Gar supplied a temporary Critical Strike Chance effect. Gar specifically listed an Overflow benefit for additional stacks. That was a defined Rune interaction, not a general rule that every Invocation gained the same bonus.
Changes Between the PTR and October 2024 Launch
Blizzard's 2.0.1 and 2.0.2 launch notes, both dated October 7, 2024, changed several costs and effects. These selected changes explain why a preview screenshot and a launch-era build could show different numbers.
| Rune | Patch | Documented launch change |
|---|---|---|
| Jah | 2.0.1 | Offering cost: 500 to 400. |
| Kry | 2.0.1 | Offering cost: 500 to 300. |
| Ner | 2.0.1 | Offering cost: 700 to 600. |
| Que | 2.0.1 | Offering cost: 800 to 300; the note specifies base Earthen Bulwark. |
| Ohm | 2.0.1 | Offering cost: 500 to 600; base War Cry replaced Enhanced War Cry. |
| Lac | 2.0.1 | Offering cost: 800 to 400; the rune effect duration changed from 6 to 3 seconds. |
| Vex | 2.0.1 | Offering cost: 400 to 1000. |
| Vex | 2.0.2 | Effect duration: 5 to 7 seconds. |
| Xan | 2.0.1 | Offering cost: 700 to 900. |
| Xan | 2.0.2 | Offering cost: 900 to 800. |
Ur, Kaa, Ono and Met were removed in 2.0.1. Ono's Dancing Bolts and Met's Desecrated Ground really appeared in the PTR; their appearance in an old preview did not mean they remained available for the launch.
Other changes also mattered. In 2.0.1, Lith's stationary condition added the requirement to be fighting; Feo's cooldown fell from 20 to 10 seconds; Qua lost its Evade refresh and its cost fell from 400 to 50. Yom's note removed the Critical Strike Damage bonus and instead granted 100 Resource. Eom's cooldown reduction changed from 0.25 to 0.1 seconds, and Zec's from four to two seconds.
Patch 2.0.2 then changed several Ritual gains, including Cir from 25 to 50, Cem from 50 to 75 and Yax from 100 to 200 Offering. It listed Gar with a ten-stack cap. Consult the patch-specific notes when interpreting a launch build; the following directories intentionally retain the separate September preview snapshot.
All 17 Ritual Runes in the September 2024 PTR Preview
These entries describe the preview triggers and Offering gains. Rarity is the preview's classification, not a ranking of today's strongest combinations. Ur and Kaa are retained as historical entries and marked with their later removal.
| Rune and PTR rarity | September 2024 PTR trigger and Offering |
|---|---|
| Ahu (Legendary) | 10 Offering: Lucky Hit against an Injured enemy; up to 100% proc chance. |
| Bac (Legendary) | 50 Offering: Move a distance of 5 meters. |
| Cem (Magic) | 50 Offering: Use Evade. |
| Cir (Magic) | 25 Offering: Repeat one non-channeled skill three times consecutively. |
| Feo (Rare) | 1000 Offering: Become Injured or Crowd Controlled; 20-second cooldown. |
| Kaa (Rare) | 2 Offering: Lose 1% of maximum Life. Removed in 2.0.1. |
| Lith (Legendary) | 25 Offering: Remain stationary for 0.3 seconds. |
| Moni (Magic) | 10 Offering: Use a skill after moving; 0.2-second cooldown. |
| Neo (Rare) | 300 Offering: Deal damage after avoiding damage for 5 seconds; Invulnerability resets the condition. |
| Noc (Rare) | 5 Offering: Apply crowd control other than Slow or Chill. |
| Poc (Rare) | 2 Offering: Consume 5% of maximum Resource. |
| Tam (Legendary) | 25 Offering: Use a Core skill that is not channeled. |
| Ur (Magic) | 10 Offering: A minion or companion kills an enemy or dies. Removed in 2.0.1. |
| Xol (Legendary) | 150 Offering: Invoke a power belonging to another class. |
| Yax (Magic) | 100 Offering: Use a Healing Potion. |
| Yul (Legendary) | 50 Offering: Use a skill that has a cooldown. |
| Zan (Magic) | 150 Offering: Use an Ultimate skill. |
Choose a Ritual by its condition before comparing its Offering number. A large gain tied to a rare or dangerous event could behave very differently from a smaller gain attached to a frequent action.
All 28 Invocation Runes in the September 2024 PTR Preview
Every cost, cooldown and effect in this directory is from the September preview. An Overflow benefit appears only where that source listed one. Ono and Met are included to preserve the original 28-entry preview and are marked as removed at launch.
| Rune and PTR rarity | PTR Offering cost and cooldown | September 2024 PTR effect |
|---|---|---|
| Ceh (Magic) | 100 Offering; 1s cooldown | An attacking Spirit Wolf lasts 8 seconds. Overflow: additional wolves. |
| Eom (Legendary) | 100 Offering; 1s cooldown | Active cooldowns are shortened by 0.25 seconds. Overflow: further reduction. |
| Gar (Magic) | 25 Offering; 1s cooldown | Critical Strike Chance rises by 2.5% for 5 seconds, with a 25% preview cap. Overflow: additional stacks. |
| Jah (Legendary) | 500 Offering; 2s cooldown | The next Evade becomes Sorcerer Teleport: a longer blink with damage and Unstoppable. |
| Kry (Rare) | 500 Offering; 3s cooldown | Spiritborn Vortex damages enemies and pulls them inward. |
| Lac (Rare) | 800 Offering; 1s cooldown | Barbarian Challenging Shout reduces incoming damage. Overflow: longer duration. |
| Lum (Magic) | 5 Offering; 1s cooldown | Restore 1 Primary Resource. Overflow: a larger restoration. |
| Met (Magic) | 100 Offering; 1s cooldown | Necromancer Desecrated Ground is left behind for 3 seconds and damages enemies. Overflow: longer duration. Removed in 2.0.1. |
| Mot (Rare) | 150 Offering; 1s cooldown | Gain a Rogue Dark Shroud shadow for damage reduction. Overflow: additional shadows. |
| Ner (Rare) | 700 Offering; 6s cooldown | Rogue Countering Concealment supplies Dodge Chance, movement speed, Unstoppable and Stealth. Overflow: longer duration. |
| Ohm (Legendary) | 500 Offering; 2s cooldown | Barbarian Enhanced War Cry supplies movement speed and increased damage. Overflow: longer duration. |
| Ono (Magic) | 25 Offering; 1s cooldown | Druid Dancing Bolts seek out and damage enemies. Overflow: additional bolts. Removed in 2.0.1. |
| Qax (Rare) | 400 Offering; 1s cooldown | The next non-Basic skill consumes all Primary Resource for up to 100% increased damage. Overflow: more damage. |
| Qua (Rare) | 400 Offering; 1s cooldown | Refresh an Evade charge and gain 6% movement speed for 5 seconds, capped at 30%. Overflow: longer duration. |
| Que (Rare) | 800 Offering; 1s cooldown | Druid Earthen Bulwark grants a Barrier. Overflow: longer duration. |
| Tal (Magic) | 100 Offering; 1s cooldown | Spiritborn Pestilent Swarm damages enemies. Overflow: additional swarms. |
| Teb (Magic) | 100 Offering; 1s cooldown | Necromancer Abhorrent Iron Maiden returns damage to enemies and heals you when they die. |
| Tec (Magic) | 100 Offering; 1s cooldown | Barbarian Earthquake creates a damaging area. Overflow: a larger area. |
| Thul (Rare) | 400 Offering; 1s cooldown | Sorcerer Mystical Frost Nova applies Freeze and Vulnerable. Overflow: a larger area. |
| Ton (Magic) | 25 Offering; 1s cooldown | Sorcerer Meteorites damage enemies. Overflow: additional meteorites. |
| Tun (Magic) | 100 Offering; 1s cooldown | Rogue Stun Grenades deal damage and Stun. Overflow: additional grenades. |
| Tzic (Rare) | 250 Offering; 1s cooldown | Spiritborn Concussive Stomp damages and Knocks Down enemies. |
| Vex (Legendary) | 400 Offering; 1s cooldown | Gain three ranks to all skills for 5 seconds. Overflow: longer duration. |
| Wat (Rare) | 100 Offering; 1s cooldown | Necromancer Horrid Decrepify slows enemies, reduces their damage and enables executions. |
| Xal (Rare) | 200 Offering; 1s cooldown | Maximum Life increases by 20% for 4 seconds. Overflow: longer duration. |
| Xan (Legendary) | 700 Offering; 1s cooldown | The next skill is guaranteed to Critical Strike and Overpower. |
| Yom (Legendary) | 500 Offering; 5s cooldown | Druid Petrify Stuns enemies and increases Critical Strike Damage against them. |
| Zec (Rare) | 200 Offering; 2s cooldown | An active Ultimate cooldown is shortened by 4 seconds. Overflow: further reduction. |
The class names identify the powers invoked by the Runes, which preserved the preview's cross-class utility. A Rune did not grant an entire second class's gear interactions: 2.0.2 also fixed unintended benefits from other classes' specific Legendary and Tempering affixes. An Aspect name was not an extra socket requirement for these Runewords.
How Runes Were Obtained and Recrafted
For 2.0.2, Blizzard listed guaranteed Rune drops from Vessel of Hatred campaign bosses, Whisper Caches and World Bosses. A first-time Stronghold clear also guaranteed Runes, specifically Magic ones. Those were the documented launch-era sources.
Blizzard's preview described Runes as tradeable, stackable and stored in a socketable inventory tab. Its Rune-crafting rule used three Runes of the same name to create a different Rune. With non-Legendary inputs, there was a chance of moving up to the next rarity.
For an older build, first identify whether its source was the September PTR, 2.0.1 or 2.0.2. Then check the trigger, the Invocation's requirement and cooldown, its particular Overflow text, and whether the Rune survived the launch changes. That sequence makes the preview examples useful without treating their numbers as a later patch's rules.
Images: Blizzard's September 2024 development cards. Cover: Bac's Ritual card. Inline: Jah's full PTR tooltip, before its launch cost reduction.
