No Rest for the Wicked Runes Guide - Stop Destroying Your Best Weapons

Extracting a skill destroys your weapon forever, so you better know exactly what that Rune does before you rip it out of the steel.

The combat system in No Rest for the Wicked is brutal, heavy, and deeply punishing if you refuse to understand the tools the game hands you. You are not just swinging a piece of metal around. The Rune system dictates your entire active skill set, turning a basic claymore into a fiery clearing tool or a simple dagger into a lightning rod. I spent hours ripping the magic out of weapons, destroying perfectly good gear in the process, just to map out exactly what every single one of these 222 Runes actually does.

Before you start haphazardly slotting magic into your gear, you need to understand the fundamental rules of the system.

The Brutal Reality of Rune Extraction

Runes fall into two distinct camps. You have Combat Runes that slot directly into your weapon for active attacks, and Utility Runes that fit into a dedicated utility slot to give you spells like healing or damage buffs.

The game forces you to make hard choices regarding your inventory. If you find a cheap common weapon with a fantastic skill, you can visit Eleanor in Sacrament to extract it. Here is the catch that makes players cry. Extracting a Rune permanently shatters the source weapon. There is no undo button. When you pull the magic out, the steel turns to dust. Plan your extractions carefully. If you want a deep dive into how to pair these skills effectively to survive the endgame, check out my No Rest for the Wicked best builds guide.

Another mechanical quirk the game barely explains is the charge system. A massive portion of these Runes, especially the elemental spells on staves, have multiple charge tiers. Do not just tap the button. Holding the input dramatically increases the damage output and alters the visual effect.

All Weapons (Universal Runes)

These are universal techniques that work on any melee weapon in your inventory. Bows are the only exception.

Universal Runes

Skills that fit into any melee weapon slot.

Rune Name	Cost	Effect Summary
Drone Trap	50 Focus	Deploys a homing drone that explodes into a fire trap.
Dropkick	30 Stamina	A brutal flying kick with massive kickback.
Frontflip Kick	20 Stamina	A forward somersault resulting in a crushing downward strike.
Regurgitate	50 Focus	Vomits toxic bile to poison enemies and create a hazard pool.
Swipe Kick	40 Stamina	A spinning roundhouse meant to clear space around you.
Throw Axe	50 Focus	Hurls a spinning, homing axe for heavy physical damage.
Throw Knife	25 Focus	A fast, precise ranged knife toss.
Turnback Kick	30 Stamina	A spinning backward kick that forces enemies away from you.

Archery relies heavily on positioning and elemental exploitation.

Bow Runes

Ranged attacks exclusively for the Bow category.

Rune Name	Cost	Effect Summary
Arrow	25 Focus	A fundamental swift and precise shot.
Arrowstorm	150 Focus	Calls down a punishing rain of homing arrows.
Breakstep	100 Focus	Kicks the target back before firing three rapid arrows.
Cone Shot	100 Focus	Fires a spread of arrows in a tight, overwhelming cone.
Crosscut	100 Focus	Two sweeping cuts followed by an evasive somersault shot.
Evasive Shot	50 Focus	Leaps backwards while firing to create distance safely.
Fire Arrow	20 Focus	Shoots a flaming arrow that deals increased fire damage.
Firefall	100 Focus	Vaults into the air and drives a fiery arrow into the earth.
Flipkick Burst	125 Focus	An upward kick transitioning into a backflip volley.
Glideburst	100 Focus	Slides forward across the ground while firing three shots.
Ice Arrow	20 Focus	A frost imbued arrow meant to chill targets.
Knockout Shot	100 Focus	A single heavy arrow designed to knock enemies to the ground.
Lightning Arrow	20 Focus	An electrified arrow that delivers concentrated shock damage.
Multi Shot	100 Focus	Fires a rapid spread of homing arrows.
Plague Arrow	20 Focus	Coats the arrow in virulent toxins to spread disease.
Retreating Trimshot	100 Focus	Executes a backflip while firing multiple shots mid air.
Skybreaker	50 Focus	Leaps up and drives an arrow down to call a lightning strike.
Skyburst Volley	100 Focus	Launches into the air to fire a spreading volley downward.
Skyfall Shot	100 Focus	A plunging aerial shot that creates a massive physical shockwave.

If you enjoy staying directly in an enemy's face and relying on raw attack speed, these are your mandatory tools.

Double Dagger Runes

High speed piercing tools.

Rune Name	Cost	Effect Summary
Dashing Stab	100 Focus	A rapid forward piercing assault consisting of multiple hits.
Double Take	100 Focus	A lightning fast double strike that reliably knocks enemies down.
Dual Breaker	100 Focus	A devastating cross slash specifically designed to break blocks.
Dual Flurry	50 Focus	A relentless twelve hit barrage that applies pure sustained pressure.
Dual Slash	100 Focus	A heavy two hit overhead combination attack.
Lightning Claw	50 Focus	Dashes forward to deliver rapid, electrified claw strikes.
Piercing Dodge	100 Focus	Evades an attack before countering with a lethal twin pierce.
Tornado Spin	100 Focus	A block breaking whirlwind that hits everything in your immediate vicinity.
Wild Rush	100 Focus	Charges forward while slashing erratically.

Unarmed combat in this game is highly kinetic. Gauntlets demand heavy stamina management but reward you with massive crowd control.

Gauntlet Runes

Unarmed blunt force trauma.

Rune Name	Cost	Effect Summary
Bare Knuckle	100 Focus	A lunging haymaker punch that guarantees a knockdown.
Breakrush	100 Focus	A furious five hit punch barrage.
Buster Rift	125 Focus	Punches the ground to send a tremor wave, followed by a sliding strike.
Cyclone Kick	50 Focus	An aerial sweeping kick that hits multiple nearby targets.
Dragonfly Kick	50 Focus	Arcs up before diving foot first into the enemy.
Drive Break	50 Focus	Charges in to deliver a single crushing punch with massive stagger.
Plague Retch	50 Focus	Evades backward before firing a homing plague projectile.
Recoil Strike	50 Focus	Dashes back to dodge, then rebounds with a lunging uppercut.
Rising Fang	50 Focus	A blazing uppercut that launches enemies skyward.
Skyfall Smash	125 Focus	Leaps and crashes down to create a damaging shockwave.
Spirit Burst	50 Focus	Fires a focused blast of inner lightning energy from the fists.
Tempest Kick	50 Focus	A six hit spinning aerial assault.
Tremor Wave	50 Focus	Punches the ground to unleash a traveling seismic shockwave.

This category encompasses a massive 58 distinct skills. A One-Handed Rune fits into any one-handed weapon, regardless of whether it is an axe, a sword, or a mace.

One-Handed Runes

The largest pool of melee skills in the game.

Rune Name	Cost	Effect Summary
Advancing Flurry	100 Focus	Pushes through enemies with a rapid four hit string.
Air Dodge	100 Focus	An aerial roll ending in a counter stab.
Blazing Rupture	100 Focus	A fiery ground smash followed by a spinning fire arc.
Brutal Reprise	50 Focus	Three incredibly heavy swings designed to break posture.
Charge Strike	100 Focus	A devastating dash attack that breaks enemy blocks.
Circular	100 Focus	Two wide sweeping arcs to clear crowds.
Crush	100 Focus	An overhead spin into a ground slam for heavy area damage.
Crushing Flurry	100 Focus	Six consecutive heavy swings.
Double Spin	100 Focus	A rapid two hit spinning block breaker.
Evasive Pierce	100 Focus	A swift knockdown strike followed by an immediate retreat.
Evasive Strike	50 Focus	Steps right to dodge before launching a powerful counter.
Evasive Swing	100 Focus	Steps left while swinging in a wide protective arc.
Fierce Dash	100 Focus	Bursts forward to stab and knock down a target.
Fire Dash	100 Focus	A flame wreathed dash that ignites the target on impact.
Fire Flurry	100 Focus	Six rapid fiery strikes to quickly stack burn damage.
Fire Throw	50 Focus	Flings a flaming weapon through enemies before it returns.
Fire Whirl	150 Focus	A massive six hit fiery whirlwind that shatters blocks.
Frost Dash	100 Focus	A frost cloaked dash designed to freeze targets.
Frost Strike	50 Focus	A heavy ice infused single hit.
Gyro Slash	100 Focus	Spins forward slicing twice to break guards.
Ice Throw	50 Focus	Hurls an ice coated weapon that freezes enemies on its return trip.
Ice Whirl	150 Focus	A six hit icy whirlwind that slows everything it touches.
Jump Cut	100 Focus	An aerial downward slash that reliably breaks blocks.
Leap	100 Focus	Jumps forward into a heavy ground slam.
Lightning Dash	100 Focus	A crackling electric dash that knocks targets down.
Lightning Flurry	100 Focus	Four rapid lightning strikes in succession.
Lightning Slam	100 Focus	Leaps into an electrical area slam.
Lightning Spin	100 Focus	Two spinning lightning strikes to break blocks.
Lightning Throw	50 Focus	Hurls an electrified weapon and catches it on the rebound.
Lightning Whirl	150 Focus	A massive electrical storm spin to stun groups.
Overrun	100 Focus	A three hit combo ending in a massive full body lunge.
Piercing Dash	100 Focus	Dashes into a deep penetrating thrust.
Piercing Flurry	100 Focus	An eight hit alternating rapid pierce sequence.
Piercing Spin	50 Focus	A double spinning strike with massive kickback.
Plague Dash	100 Focus	A plague coated dash to spread immediate disease.
Plague Strike	100 Focus	A heavy plague hit that knocks down and breaks blocks.
Plague Swirl	50 Focus	Two sweeping plague strikes.
Plague Throw	50 Focus	Flings a plague coated weapon like a boomerang.
Plague Whirl	150 Focus	A toxic six hit whirlwind.
Shock Strike	50 Focus	Lands an electrified hit before jumping safely backward.
Slamdown	100 Focus	Leaps into a heavy area crash.
Slashing Dash	100 Focus	Dashes directly into a heavy slash.
Slashing Dodge	100 Focus	Steps back to evade before lunging in with a slash.
Slashing Flurry	100 Focus	Six rapid slashes that shred enemy poise.
Slashing Pirouette	100 Focus	A graceful two hit forward spin.
Spin	100 Focus	A two hit wheel sweep to catch flanking enemies.
Stormpiercer	100 Focus	A lunge strike that releases homing lightning projectiles.
Surge Slash	100 Focus	A powerful spinning charge.
Taunt Strike	100 Focus	Draws aggro before landing a devastating physical blow.
Throw	50 Focus	A basic weapon hurl that returns to the hand.
Thrust	100 Focus	A focused forward thrust to break blocks.
Tornado Strike	50 Focus	Spins rapidly on axis to hit enemies with three block breaking blows.
Trinity Barrage	100 Focus	Unleashes three consecutive heavy strikes.
Triple Swipe	100 Focus	Three massive slashes to overwhelm guards.
Twirl Dash	100 Focus	A spiral dash containing five spinning strikes.
Twirl Spin	100 Focus	A graceful two hit spinning whirlwind.
Whirl	100 Focus	Six rapid spins hitting all nearby enemies.
Whirlstep Strike	100 Focus	A tempestuous whirl resulting in two furious blows.

These runes are slow, stamina intensive, and absolutely ruin anything they connect with. You slot these into greatswords, hammers, and halberds.

Two-Handed Runes

Slow swings with massive damage output.

Rune Name	Cost	Effect Summary
Balance Smash	100 Focus	Rolls over the weapon to deliver a ground shattering smash.
Berserk Flurry	100 Focus	Four rapid swings fueled by raw berserker fury.
Berserk Slam	50 Focus	A forward ground slam accompanied by a battle cry.
Berserk Strike	100 Focus	A rage boosted hit designed to crush enemies instantly.
Breaker Thrust	50 Focus	Lunges forward to drive the weapon completely through a target.
Crushing Quad	100 Focus	A wild four hit combo that breaks guards on every swing.
Crushing Slam	100 Focus	Leaps forward to crush enemies beneath the weapon's weight.
Crushing Triple	100 Focus	A three hit combo where each swing hits heavier than the last.
Crushing Uppercut	50 Focus	A devastating upswing utilizing full body momentum.
Cyclone Swipe	50 Focus	A single circular sweep with massive knockback.
Dodge Slamdown	50 Focus	Bounces forward into an overhead block breaking slam.
Double Crush	100 Focus	Bounces forward to deliver two incredibly heavy strikes.
Eruption	150 Focus	Leaps into a ground slam that triggers a volcanic explosion.
Fire Slam	100 Focus	Leaps into a fiery blast that knocks down everything nearby.
Fire Swipe	50 Focus	A sweeping flame strike covering a wide arc.
Fire Whirlwind	100 Focus	Six spinning fire hits that leave enemies severely burned.
Frenzied Cleave	100 Focus	Three incredibly wild swings relying purely on force.
Ground Slam	100 Focus	A horizontal sweep transitioning into an aerial downward slam.
Ice Ram	50 Focus	A sweeping frost strike designed to slow entire groups.
Juggle Strike	100 Focus	A charged swinging uppercut to launch enemies.
Kick Slash	100 Focus	Combines a spinning leg kick with a heavy slash.
Knockdown Swirl	50 Focus	A two hit spinning combo guaranteed to floor targets.
Lightning Assault	100 Focus	A gap closing lightning strike that makes targets vulnerable.
Limit Break	100 Focus	A massive four hit combo ending with an overwhelming block breaker.
Multi Spin	100 Focus	Six slow but devastatingly heavy spins.
Pestilent Recoil	100 Focus	Two plague hits before leaping back to fire a toxic wave.
Plague Crush	50 Focus	A sweeping plague strike causing immediate decay.
Pole Flurry	100 Focus	Two vertical sweeps finishing with a downward slam.
Raging Spiral	100 Focus	Spins forward three times to shred everything in your path.
Reap	100 Focus	Lands two spinning blows before crushing the target.
Relentless Cleave	100 Focus	Four brutal swings triggering a final fiery explosion.
Rip and Tear	100 Focus	A single massive strike designed purely to inflict maximum damage.
Seismic Crush	50 Focus	Smashes the weapon into the ground to unleash a shockwave.
Slashing Spin	100 Focus	A charged spinning strike.
Spin Crush	100 Focus	A horizontal sweep followed by a downward crushing blow.
Spiral Crash	50 Focus	Spins forward with momentum before delivering a knockdown blow.
Tremor Slam	100 Focus	A ground slam that staggers all nearby enemies.
Wallbreaker	100 Focus	A single stab capable of shattering any defensive posture.
Whirlwind	100 Focus	A rapid five spin sequence with continuous heavy blows.

Yes, wands and staves share the exact same Rune pool. If a Rune says it is for a Staff, it works on a Wand. Remember to charge these spells by holding the input.

Staff & Wand Runes

Pure magical artillery.

Rune Name	Cost	Effect Summary
Armageddon (Fire)	150 Focus	Calls down a massive, devastating firestorm.
Armageddon (Physical)	150 Focus	A close range devastating physical block breaking strike.
Bolt	50 Focus	A crackling lightning bolt that can be charged for more power.
Chain Lightning	35 Stamina	A bolt that arcs to multiple nearby enemies when fully charged.
Charged Bolt	50 Focus	Releases lightning bolts outward in all directions.
Cold Sling	100 Focus	Leaps up and hurls three homing ice projectiles.
Converging Flame	100 Focus	Summons hovering fireballs that eventually converge on a target.
Fire Blast	50 Focus	A small but incredibly intense close range fire explosion.
Fire Burst	100 Focus	A delayed fire projectile that detonates with massive force.
Fire Dart	35 Stamina	A focused, cheap flame dart.
Fire Nova	100 Focus	A fiery explosion expanding outward from your character.
Fire Walk	150 Focus	Engulfs you in flames, leaving a burning trail wherever you walk.
Fire Wall	100 Focus	Erects a continuous wall of defensive fire.
Fire Wave	100 Focus	Launches a wave of fireballs that scales with charge time.
Fireball	35 Stamina	The classic blazing fireball. Charge for double damage.
Flame Sweep	25 Focus	A 360 degree physical staff sweep imbued with fire.
Frigid Arc	100 Focus	Leaps and releases a sweeping arc of pure frost.
Frost Needles	100 Focus	Fires a fan of homing ice shards that slow enemies.
Frost Nova	100 Focus	An icy burst erupting from your position.
Frost Step	50 Focus	Dodges away while leaving a counter stream of frost behind.
Frost Stream	15 Focus/tick	A sustained beam of chilling ice that drains focus over time.
Glacial Spike	150 Focus	Leaps and slams down to create a massive freezing eruption.
Hail	100 Focus	Launches a wave of ice bolts.
Hellfire	150 Focus	Leaps to create an apocalyptic fiery eruption.
Homing Frost	100 Focus	Summons a ring of icy darts that home in on the target.
Ice Dart	35 Stamina	A quick, chilling dart that slows on impact.
Ice Sweep	25 Focus	A 360 degree physical staff sweep encased in ice.
Icebolt	35 Stamina	A heavy chilling ice ball.
Inferno	15 Focus/tick	A sustained continuous beam of fire.
Lightning Barrage	100 Focus	Dashes in for an electrified melee flurry with the staff.
Lightning Blast	50 Focus	Electrifies the ground beneath the enemy's feet.
Lightning Bolt	150 Focus	Calls down a massive, single target lightning strike from the sky.
Lightning Dart	35 Stamina	A quick crackling dart of lightning.
Lightning Flash	100 Focus	Three concentrated homing lightning bolts.
Lightning Leap	100 Focus	Leaps high and plunges down with an electrical shockwave.
Lightning Storm	100 Focus	Summons multiple cascading lightning bolts.
Lightning Sweep	25 Focus	A 360 degree physical staff sweep charged with electricity.
Pestilence	150 Focus	Leaps to create a massive toxic area eruption.
Plague Barrage	100 Focus	Charges forward firing a flurry of homing plague projectiles.
Plague Breath	35 Stamina	Casts a virulent plague ball that poisons on impact.
Plague Burst	100 Focus	Fires four homing plague projectiles that erupt on contact.
Plague Column	100 Focus	Conjures a vertical torrent of plague that spits outward.
Plague Dart	35 Stamina	A dart that inflicts a slow acting lingering poison.
Plague Explosion	100 Focus	Detonates festering buboes to corrode everything nearby.
Plague Launch	100 Focus	Leaps backward while sending a shockwave of plague forward.
Plague Nova	100 Focus	A burst of raw plague energy expanding from your position.
Plague Smite	50 Focus	Erupts pestilence directly beneath the feet of enemies.
Plague Splatter	150 Focus	Hurls a massive plague bubble that creates a pool of corruption.
Plague Sweep	25 Focus	A 360 degree physical staff sweep laced with toxins.
Plague Wave	100 Focus	Launches a wave of virulent curses.
Rotwheel	100 Focus	Summons a rolling mass of plague that barrels forward.
Shock Nova	100 Focus	An electric burst expanding outward to shock nearby enemies.
Spark	100 Focus	Launches a wave of lightning bolts.
Spin Strike	100 Focus	Spins into a fiery whirlwind, scorching everything nearby.
Static	100 Focus	Charges your body to electrocute anyone who steps too close.
Thunderstrike	150 Focus	Leaps and slams down to create a thunderous area eruption.

Utility Runes do not go in your weapon. They go in a dedicated utility slot and provide crucial buffs, healing, and mobility.

Utility Runes

Spells that keep you alive and buffed.

Rune Name	Cost	Effect Summary
Blink	25 Focus	Teleports you a short distance forward, passing through enemies.
Channel	30 HP/tick	Sacrifices health to continuously restore focus points.
Cold Enchantment	50 Focus	Grants Ice Infusion to your weapon for 60 seconds.
Cold Resistance	50 Focus	Increases Ice Resistance by 25% for 120 seconds.
Damage Surge	100 Focus	Boosts overall damage output by 20% for 120 seconds.
Electric Enchantment	50 Focus	Grants Lightning Infusion to your weapon for 60 seconds.
Electric Resistance	50 Focus	Increases Lightning Resistance by 25% for 120 seconds.
Focus Halo	100 Focus	Adds 100 to your Max Focus pool for 120 seconds.
Heal	50 Focus	Instantly restores a flat amount of health.
Heal Aura	20 Focus/tick	Creates a sustained healing aura surrounding you.
Heat Enchantment	50 Focus	Grants Fire Infusion to your weapon for 60 seconds.
Heat Resistance	50 Focus	Increases Fire Resistance by 25% for 120 seconds.
Illuminate	25 Focus	Summons a mobile light source to guide you through dark areas.
Plague Enchantment	50 Focus	Grants Plague Infusion to your weapon for 60 seconds.
Plague Resistance	50 Focus	Increases Plague Resistance by 25% for 120 seconds.
Poise Shield	100 Focus	Massively increases your stability, preventing staggers for 120 seconds.
Pulse of Health	100 Focus	Temporarily boosts maximum health and restores a portion instantly.
Repair	150 Focus	Restores durability to your equipped items directly in the field.
Return	25 Focus	Allows fast travel to any unlocked whisper point.
Scream	50 Focus	Knocks down all enemies positioned directly in front of you.
Stamina Wellspring	100 Focus	Boosts stamina by 30% for 120 seconds.
Thorns	50 Focus	Reflects 80% of incoming damage back at the attacker for 120 seconds.