Look, let’s be real for a second. If you’ve spent any time in the Hearts of Stone expansion, you’ve met the guy. The Ofieri merchant who claims he can revolutionize your gear if you just... give him a small loan of five thousand crowns. Then ten thousand. Then fifteen. By the time you’re done, you’ve sunk 30,000 crowns into a tent in the middle of nowhere. It feels like a scam. It honestly does. Most players see that price tag and run the other way, back to the safety of the Grandmaster Smith in Toussaint. But if you actually invest in Witcher 3 Runewright upgrades, the game fundamentally shifts.
It’s not just about bigger numbers. It’s about changing how Geralt moves, how he breathes, and how he burns things to a crisp.
The Massive Gold Sink That Actually Makes Sense
The economy in The Witcher 3 is weird. Early on, you’re scavenging rusty swords just to buy a loaf of bread. By the late game? You’re sitting on a mountain of coin with nothing to spend it on except maybe some fancy dyes or a renovation for Corvo Bianco. That’s where the Runewright comes in. He is the ultimate end-game gold sink.
You find him near the Upper Mill in Novigrad's eastern outskirts. He’s a specialist. Unlike your average blacksmith who just slaps a +5% Sign intensity rune into a slot, this guy weaves words of power into the fabric of the item itself.
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To get the Witcher 3 Runewright to even look at your gear, you have to complete "Enchanting: Start-up Costs." This is the part that hurts. You pay 5,000 crowns for Level 1 tools. Then 10,000 for Level 2. Finally, a staggering 15,000 for Level 3. It's a lot. Is it worth it? Probably not if you're just playing for the story. But if you're on Death March? If you're trying to create a broken, god-tier Geralt? It's mandatory.
Level 1: The Entry Point
At the first level, you get access to things like Depletion. When you hit someone with Aard, it drains their stamina. It’s okay. It’s fine. But the real winner here is Deflection. It makes your armor reflect all arrows. You know those annoying bandits in the woods who keep plinking you from off-screen while you’re trying to fight a heavy-hitter? Yeah. Gone. They shoot, the arrow bounces off your chest, and they look like idiots. It’s incredibly satisfying.
Why Quality Matters More Than Quantity
A lot of people think they can just ignore the Runewright and stick to Greater Glyphs. I get it. A set of Greater Glyphs of Quen gives you a solid 30% boost to shield intensity. That’s reliable. That’s safe.
But a Glyphword is different. It consumes all three slots on a piece of armor or a sword. You lose the individual bonuses, sure. What you gain is a mechanical change. Take Severance, for example. This is arguably the most popular enchantment in the entire game. It increases the range of Whirl and Rend.
Imagine Whirl. You’re spinning like a blender. Usually, enemies just back up a few inches and wait for you to stop. With Severance, that blender has a six-foot reach. You become a literal wall of silver and steel. It’s beautiful. It’s terrifying. It makes the "Iris" boss fight or the giant groups of fallen knights feel like a joke. Honestly, once you play with Severance, going back to a normal sword feels like fighting with a butter knife.
The Problem With Middle-Tier Enchantments
I’ll be honest: Level 2 is the "awkward teenager" phase of the Runewright. You’ve already spent 15,000 crowns total, and the options are... mixed. Rotation is cool because it makes Igni hit everyone in a 360-degree radius instead of just a cone. It looks awesome. You’re a human flamethrower. But is it better than just having higher Sign intensity? Sometimes no.
Then there’s Entanglement. This one is for the Griffin School nerds. When a trap from the Yrden sign hits an opponent, a new Yrden trap is placed at that location. In a big fight, the entire floor becomes a purple glowing disco of doom. It's chaotic. It's effective. It's also very niche.
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Mastering the Level 3 Enchantments
If you’ve committed the 30,000 crowns, you’re looking for the heavy hitters. You want the stuff that breaks the game in your favor. Level 3 is where the Witcher 3 Runewright justifies his existence.
One of the most underrated options here is Levity. This is a gear-system game changer. It treats all your equipped armor as Light Armor. Why does that matter? Because of the Cat School Techniques skill. Usually, if you want that massive fast-attack crit bonus, you have to wear light, flimsy armor. With Levity, you can wear the heavy-ass Ursine (Bear) set—with all its insane damage resistance—and still get the Cat School damage buffs. You become a tank that hits like a freight train. It’s the ultimate meta-build move.
Inverse Power: Healer or Destroyer?
Invigoration is another weird one. If your health is at maximum, any healing you receive (from potions or food) gets added to your next sword strike as extra damage. If you’re a player who chugs Superior White Raffard’s Decoction like it’s water, you can end up hitting for thousands of extra damage in a single swing. It requires a very specific playstyle, though. You have to stay at 100% health, which means you need to be good at dodging. Or just use Quen. Always use Quen.
Don't Forget the Sword Enchantments
We talk a lot about armor, but the Runewright also works on your blades. Aside from Severance, which we already established is king, there’s Prolongation. Each unblocked blow increases potion duration by 0.5 seconds.
Think about that. If you’re in a long fight—like the finale of Blood and Wine—your potions literally never run out. You can keep your Decoctions and Thunderbolts active indefinitely as long as you keep swinging. It turns Geralt into a chemical-fueled monster.
Then there’s Replenishment. You cast a Sign, and it consumes an Adrenaline point to charge your next sword hit with that element. Cast Igni? Your sword is now a lightsaber. Cast Aard? Your sword hit knocks people over. It’s flashy. It’s fun. It’s also a bit of a stamina hog, so you need a build that generates Adrenaline fast. Maribor Forest is your friend here.
Is the Runewright Actually a Scam?
People argue about this on Reddit all the time. "Is 30k worth it for a longer Whirl?"
Strictly speaking, from a mathematical perspective, you can beat the game without ever talking to this guy. You can beat it on Death March with just basic gear if you're patient enough. But the Witcher 3 Runewright isn't about necessity; it's about expression. It’s about tailoring Geralt to a very specific vision of a monster slayer.
If you hate the look of light armor but love the speed, Levity is your only solution. If you want to lean into the "magic-user" Geralt, Entanglement and Rotation make you feel like a sorcerer who happens to carry a sword.
The real "scam" isn't the price—it's the fact that the Runewright doesn't carry over his upgrades to New Game Plus in the way people expect. You keep the enchanted gear, yes. But you have to pay the 30,000 crowns all over again to enchant new gear in the next playthrough. That hurts. That’s the real sting.
Practical Tips for the Broke Witcher
If you're staring at your 2,000 crowns wondering how you'll ever afford this, here’s the reality:
- Clear the Skellige Caches. It’s boring. You’ll be sailing for hours. But those Smuggler’s Caches are filled with gear that sells for a fortune.
- Sell to the right people. Take your swords to the journeyman smith in Novigrad or the Grandmaster in Toussaint. Don't sell a master-crafted sword to a herbalist in the woods. You're losing money.
- Don't rush Level 3. Level 1 is cheap and gives you Deflection. That’s a huge quality-of-life upgrade right there. Stick with that until you're swimming in Toussaint gold.
How to Proceed With Your Build
If you’re ready to take the plunge, don't just dump all your money at once. Start by identifying your biggest weakness. Are you dying to archers? Get Level 1 and Deflection. Are you a Whirl enthusiast? Push for Level 2 and Severance.
Once you reach the final tier, look at your armor weight. If you’re wearing Medium or Heavy gear, Levity or Balance can completely change which passive skills benefit you. It allows for "hybrid" builds that were previously impossible.
Go to the Upper Mill. Pay the man. Just don't expect a thank you note. He's too busy counting your crowns.
Actionable Next Steps:
- Check your bankroll: Ensure you have at least 5,000 crowns to start the questline and unlock the basic enchantments.
- Farm Hanse Bases: If you’re in Toussaint, farm the Hanse bases for loot but do not kill the leader. This allows the enemies to respawn so you can keep looting and selling their gear to fund the Level 3 upgrades.
- Prioritize Severance: If you use the combat tree, make Severance your first priority on both your Silver and Steel swords; the range increase is the single most noticeable mechanical buff in the game.
- Match your Glyphs: Before committing to a Glyphword on your armor, remember it destroys existing glyphs. Strip them or use them on gear you plan to replace soon.