Mage Runes and Locations - WoW SoD
Introduction to Rune Engravings and Abilities
The most prominent feature of the Season of Discovery is the introduction of Rune Engravings, a game-changer for your gear. Rune Engravings don't just offer new abilities; they allow you to augment your current spells and even unlock entirely new possibilities for your class.
Extra Skills and Improvements
Starting in Phase 2 of the Season of Discovery, all classes can find extra base skills and quality of life improvements. These are available in consumable items scattered around the world. While these items aren't classified as Runes, discovering and learning them is essential for players seeking to maximize the potential of their class.
Mages can currently obtain:
Tome of Expanded Intellect — can drop from any boss in Scarlet Monastery Graveyard wing.
How to Find and Unlock Mage Runes
Unlocking these powerful Runes isn't confined to specific races, though they are most commonly associated with races from the areas where the Runes are found. This means that even if you're playing a character from a different race or faction, you can still unlock these Runes by following the necessary steps. Let's dive into where and how you can find these transformative Runes for Mages.
The process of unlocking each Rune is unique and tied to specific locations and actions within the game. Here's a quick guide to help you locate and unlock the Mage Runes:
Rune Name | Slot | Unlock Method |
Rewind Time | Gloves | You will need to be at least level 20 and maybe also have a decent amount of gold on you to get Grizzby, found in Ratchet in the Barrens to talk to you and offer three quests: turn in 24 Fish Oil , looted from fish and Murloc enemies, 20 Dark Iron Ordinance looted from Dark Iron Dwarves in Dun Morogh or north Wetlands, and 16 Shredder Turbocharger obtained by using Shredder Autosalvage Unit on Shredder NPCs in Ashenvale. The pattern for this Engineering craft drops from Sneed in Deadmines. Once the quests are finished, you can buy the Rewind Time Rune for 5 gold. |
Living Bomb | Gloves | Horde players can obtain this by completing the Wand to Bethor quest and A Token of Gratitude follow-up. You can start this quest by going to Fenris Isle in Silverpine Forest and farming Rot Hide Brutes for the item A Talking Head which starts the quest. You can also obtain it by completing the Blink puzzle Path of no steps in Southern Barrens, around the 45,80 map coordinates. For Alliance Mages, this was reported as dropping from Stonesplinter Seer enemies in Loch Modan, and alternatively you can combine Elemental Core from Dust Devil with Spare Reaper Parts from Harvest Golem in order to create Prototype Engine which can be used on an inactive reaper in the southwest corner of Saldean's Farm to spawn a mob that drops the Rune when killed. |
Arcane Blast | Gloves | In the Zoram Strand, killing Nagas will eventually drop a Naga Manuscript. In order to get the Rune and solve the manuscript's riddle, move from crystal location to crystal location as shown in the manuscript, south to north, and cast Arcane Explosion next to each crystal. |
Ice Lance | Gloves | You can learn the Engrave Gloves - Ice Lance as all Mage races by picking up the Level 2 quest, Spell Research, in the starting zone and completing it. For Orc and Troll players, inside the Burning Blade cave, look deep inside the big pools of water at the bottom of the cave for it! |
Mass Regeneration | Pants | Head to the Raven Hall Cemetery and enter the Crypt at 23.5,35. Turn left and look to your right inside the room to find a Decrepit Phylactery. Now head to the Crypt at 15.5,38 and go right at the end of the path. You will find a skeleton which you can click to spawn a Lich enemy. Kill it and loot it for the Mass Regeneration Rune! |
Living Flame | Pants | For Undead players, Living Flame is looted off Scarlet Warriors in Tirisfal Glades. Troll Mages were reported looting it from Burning Blade enemies inside Skull Rock in Durotar. Humans get it from killing Kobold Geomancer enemies in the Jasperlode Mine, while Gnomes get it from killing Frostmane Shadowcaster or Frostmane Seer enemies at the Frostmane Hold area in Dun Morogh, 25,50 map coordinates. |
Arcane Surge | Pants | Reach Friendly reputation with the new Durotar Supply and Logistics faction on Horde, or equivalent Azeroth Commerce Authority in the Alliance and buy the rune for 2 gold. You can increase your reputation with these factions by turning in Supply Shipment green items randomly looted from world content, preferably after combining them with the profession materials requested in their description in order to increase the reputation and amount of currency awarded. |
Icy Veins | Pants | You need to collect 10 out of the many books listed below and return them to a NPC marked as a Librarian, such as Owen Thadd at 73,33 in the Undercity and Garion Wendell at 38,81 in Stormwind. Horde location books: Inside Brill's Alchemy Shop, The Apothecary's Metaphysical Primer (Tirisfal Glades 59,52) Inside the Sepulcher, Ataeric: On Arcane Curiosities (Silverpine Forest 40,39) In the Valley Of Spirits, The Lessons Of Ta'zo (Orgrimmar 38,80) Books both factions have similar ease in obtaining: At the top of a Barrens Oil Rig, Arcanic Systems Manual (Barrens 56,8) Outside Wailing Caverns portal, Secrets Of The Dreamers (Barrens 53,55) Small hut near Kaya Flathoof, Fury Of The Land (Stonetalon Mountains 74,86) Inside Ratchet house near Gazlowe, Baxtan: On Destructive Magics (Barrens 63,35) Inside Ambermill main building, Dalaran Digest (Silverpine Forest 63,63) Inside an urn at the excavation site, Goaz Scrolls (Wetlands 34,48) Inside main cave in elite ogre area, Runes Of The Sorcerer Kings (hug left side inside cave, Loch Modan) Inside the ruins, Nar'thalas Almanac (Darkshore 58,22 down the stairs) Inside a Raven Hill Crypt, Crimes Against Anatomy (Duskwood inside left crypt, go straight and check the table at 16,35) In Moonbrook on a small house near town's east entrance, Bewitchments And Glamours (Westfall 45,71) Defensive Magics 101 can be found in 49,58 Alterac Mountains Geomancy: The Stone-Cold Truth can be found in 34,41 Thousand Needles RwlRwlRwlRwl can be found in 57,21 Dustwallow Marsh Demons and You can be found in 54,29 Desolace A Web of Lies: Debunking Myths and Legends can be found in 72,65 Arathi Highlands Basilisks: Should Petrification be Feared? can be found in 41,51 Stranglethorn Vale Alliance location books: Tower Of Azora, Archmage Theocritus (Elwynn Forest 65,70) Thelsamar Or Westfall Inn, Rumi Of Gnomeregan (Loch Modan 36,49 or Westfall 53,54) Ironforge library, Archmage Antonidas (Ironforge 76,11) |
Regeneration | Chest | The closest acquisition source for Undead players are the Dalaran Apprentices in Silverpine Forest. Horde players going into the Barrens reported finding it inside Kolkar's Booty chests, also. For Humans, the closest drop source are the Defias Pillagers in Westfall, while Gnomes can find it in a hut on the northern island in Loch Modan, specifically the South Hut on the top island; make sure to look for stack of books inside. |
Burnout | Chest | Kill a frozen mob with Fire spells and abilities from multiple players who don't all need to be Mages: can use Warlock Imps and Immolate, Shaman Flame Shock, and other Fire abilities. Trolls can get it from a Frozen Makrura, found around the 58,44 map coordinates in Durotar. Undead players can get it from a Frozen Murloc, around the 66,41 coordinates on Tirisfal Glades, instead. Gnomes kill the Frozen Trogg at the Dun Morogh 69,58 map coordinates, in the middle of Gol'Bolar Quarry, while Humans get it from a Frozen Murloc on the east side of Stone Cairn Lake in Elwynn Forest. |
Enlightenment | Chest | Horde Mages can get this in Solliden Farmstead in Tirisfal, by using Polymorph on the odd melons spawning in it and looting the notes left behind six times. Alliance Mages get this in Elwynn Forest, by using Polymorph on critters that don't belong in the zone and have a Wild Polymorph debuff. Again, loot six of the notes in order to get the Rune. |
Fingers of Frost | Chest | Drops from rare or named mobs in the leveling areas immediately past the starting 1-6 leveling zones. Confirmed drop from Warlord Kolkanis, but there's also reports of drops from Goldtooth, Hogger, Timber, and Zalazane. |
Frostfire Bolt | Belt | Drops randomly as the Spell Notes: TROFF IRESTBOL item from Skullsplitter Mystic NPCs found around 45,34 in Strangethorn Vale. Use a Comprehension Charm (sold at reagent vendors or awarded as a quest reward) to learn the rune. |
Hot Streak | Belt | Go near 60,47 in Alterac Mountains and use Flamestrike on the forge bellows outside the blacksmith building until they are glowing. That will summon an Ancient Fire Elemental which you can kill for the Hot Streak rune. |
Missile Barrage | Belt | Begin by traveling to Deadwind Pass and interact with the Dalaran Agent NPC near 52,35 to obtain Ariden's Sigil . By wearing and using this trinket you can make 7 Dark Rider enemies show themselves at certain spots in the world, which you must kill and loot to receive the rune. You will know the Dark Rider is close enough to be revealed when you gain the Dark Presence buff. The closest rider can be found near 42,30 in Deadwind Pass; Next, go towards nearby Swamp of Sorrows, where a rider can be found around 69,29; Trace back your steps and head towards 23,48 in Duskwood, where a rider awaits; Head south towards Booty Bay and take the boat to the Barrens, where you will find another rider around 52,36; Move towards nearby Desolace where a rider patrols around 65,26; Change continent and head to 60,40 in Arathi Highlands where another rider can be found; Finally, head towards the Badlands, where the final rider can be found around 58,53. Once you finally take down the final rider, return to the Dalaran Agent and turn all relics to obtain the Missile Barrage rune! |
Spellfrost Bolt | Belt | Drops randomly as the Spell Notes: PELFRB STOLLOTS item from Skullsplitter Mystic NPCs found around 45,34 in Strangethorn Vale. Use a Comprehension Charm (sold at reagent vendors or awarded as a quest reward) to learn the rune. |
Brain Freeze | Boots | Once you are Level 30 or higher, find the extinguished campfire on a hill northwest of the kodo graveyard in Desolace, around the 47,55 map coordinates. Follow up by talking to Bibbly F'utzbuckle around 62,39, by Kormek's hut. Travel to Booty Bay and speak to Tokal in the Salty Sailor Tavern, at the 27,77 coordinates in Stranglethorn Vale and buy cherry grog from the Food and Drink vendor next to her. Follow up by traveling to Arathi Highlands, where you should head to the broken bridge, go down to the water and click the rowboat at 53,91. Head north after traveling in the rowboat to find Illari Duskfeather at 94,71. Loot a key from her bag to open a cache by the shack on dock for the Brain Freeze rune! |
Chronostatic Preservation | Boots | You need to have at least two players using frost school spells on three NPCs found in these Thousand Needles map locations. Take note that one of them is in a cage that requires a key, but luckily you can get the key as a drop from a nearby Galak Mauler NPC. |
Spell Power | Boots | You need to collect 20 out of the many books listed below and return them to a NPC marked as a Librarian, such as Owen Thadd at 73,33 in the Undercity and Garion Wendell at 38,81 in Stormwind. Horde location books: Inside Brill's Alchemy Shop, The Apothecary's Metaphysical Primer (Tirisfal Glades 59,52) Inside the Sepulcher, Ataeric: On Arcane Curiosities (Silverpine Forest 40,39) In the Valley Of Spirits, The Lessons Of Ta'zo (Orgrimmar 38,80) Books both factions have similar ease in obtaining: At the top of a Barrens Oil Rig, Arcanic Systems Manual (Barrens 56,8) Outside Wailing Caverns portal, Secrets Of The Dreamers (Barrens 53,55) Small hut near Kaya Flathoof, Fury Of The Land (Stonetalon Mountains 74,86) Inside Ratchet house near Gazlowe, Baxtan: On Destructive Magics (Barrens 63,35) Inside Ambermill main building, Dalaran Digest (Silverpine Forest 63,63) Inside an urn at the excavation site, Goaz Scrolls (Wetlands 34,48) Inside main cave in elite ogre area, Runes Of The Sorcerer Kings (hug left side inside cave, Loch Modan) Inside the ruins, Nar'thalas Almanac (Darkshore 58,22 down the stairs) Inside a Raven Hill Crypt, Crimes Against Anatomy (Duskwood inside left crypt, go straight and check the table at 16,35) In Moonbrook on a small house near town's east entrance, Bewitchments And Glamours (Westfall 45,71) Defensive Magics 101 can be found in 49,58 Alterac Mountains Geomancy: The Stone-Cold Truth can be found in 34,41 Thousand Needles RwlRwlRwlRwl can be found in 57,21 Dustwallow Marsh Demons and You can be found in 54,29 Desolace A Web of Lies: Debunking Myths and Legends can be found in 72,65 Arathi Highlands Basilisks: Should Petrification be Feared? can be found in 41,51 Stranglethorn Vale Alliance location books: Tower Of Azora, Archmage Theocritus (Elwynn Forest 65,70) Thelsamar Or Westfall Inn, Rumi Of Gnomeregan (Loch Modan 36,49 or Westfall 53,54) Ironforge library, Archmage Antonidas (Ironforge 76,11) |
In conclusion, the Season of Discovery brings an exciting array of possibilities for players in World of Warcraft. By understanding and utilizing the power of Rune Engravings, you can take your abilities to new heights. Happy hunting!
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