What a Rune Arc does in Elden Ring
A 
Rune Arc is a consumable that wakes the Great Rune you have equipped. Its blessing stays on your character until you die.
With no Great Rune equipped, a Rune Arc still raises your maximum HP a little.
- Defeat a shardbearer to take their Great Rune.
- Climb that rune's Divine Tower to restore it.
- Equip the restored Great Rune at a Site of Grace.
- Use a Rune Arc. The blessing lasts until your next death.
The blessing pauses while you are a summoned phantom or an invader in another world. It keeps working when you host a co-op session. Rune Arcs cannot be traded to other players.
Where to buy Rune Arcs
6 merchants sell Rune Arcs for runes. Their combined stock is 20.
| Merchant | Where | Stock and price |
|---|---|---|
| Twin Maiden Husks | Roundtable Hold | 5 at 4,000 runes each |
| Nomadic Merchant | Bellum Church, northern Liurnia | 3 at 4,000 runes each |
| Hermit Merchant | Hermit Merchant's Shack, Capital Outskirts | 3 at 4,000 runes each |
| Hermit Merchant | Eastern Mountaintops of the Giants | 3 at 8,000 runes each |
| Imprisoned Merchant | Mohgwyn Dynasty Mausoleum | 3 at 8,000 runes each |
| Moore | Gravesite Plain, Shadow of the Erdtree | 3 at 8,000 runes each |
The Twin Maiden Husks hold the biggest stock. They sell 5 at the lower price of 4,000 runes.
Runes for every Rune Arc, or a PRO for the hard part
Runes buy the whole merchant stock of Rune Arcs. A PRO can also restore your Great Rune or level your build.
RunesElden Ring Runes: 500 million
Runes on your character in the amount you pick, from 500 million. Enough for every Rune Arc the merchants sell, and levels on top.
Great Rune helpElden Ring Custom Order - Live Chat 24-7
A shardbearer kill, a Divine Tower run or a Rune Arc farm you name, agreed in live chat with a manager.
Level and buildElden Ring Builds Service
A PRO raises your character to the level you name and sets up the weapon and gear your build runs.
How to farm Rune Arcs
Once the shops run dry, Rune Arcs come from rats, online play and a few fixed spots.
- Giant Rats. Rats and Giant Rats have a small chance to drop a Rune Arc. Earthbore Cave and the Rampart Gaol rats in Castle Morne, both on the Weeping Peninsula, reset fast at their Site of Grace.
- Co-op as a Furled Finger. Every summoned helper gets 1 Rune Arc when the host's area boss dies.
- Invasions. With a
Bloody Finger, every invader gets 1 Rune Arc when the host dies. - Volcano Manor contracts. Old Knight Istvan, Rileigh the Idle and Great Horned Tragoth drop 1 each.
- Pickups. Corpses in Sellia Crystal Tunnel in Caelid and in Siofra River hold 1 each.
Co-op pays on every win. Each boss you help defeat gives 1 Rune Arc whether or not you landed the kill.
Which Great Rune to wake with a Rune Arc
Each Great Rune comes from a shardbearer and wakes only after its own Divine Tower. A Rune Arc turns on the 1 you have equipped.
| Great Rune | Restore at | Blessing |
|---|---|---|
 Godrick's Great Rune | Divine Tower of Limgrave | +5 to every attribute |
 Radahn's Great Rune | Divine Tower of Caelid | Raises maximum HP, FP and Stamina |
 Morgott's Great Rune | Divine Tower of East Altus | Greatly raises maximum HP |
 Rykard's Great Rune | Divine Tower of West Altus | Restores HP when you defeat an enemy |
 Mohg's Great Rune | Divine Tower of East Altus | Blessing of blood for summoned phantoms |
 Malenia's Great Rune | Isolated Divine Tower | Attacks right after you take damage restore HP |
Most players restore Godrick's Great Rune before the others. Its tower stands beyond the bridge from Stormveil Castle. Radahn's and Morgott's both raise maximum HP for hard bosses.
Rune Arcs after patch 1.17
The latest Elden Ring balance patch is 1.17, released on 27 August 2026 for the Tarnished Pack. Its notes have no lines on Rune Arcs or Great Runes. Patch 1.17.2 of 20 October 2026 is live and fixes bugs only.
Runes buy both Rune Arcs and levels. The fastest ways to earn them are in the Elden Ring rune farm guide. The Elden Ring best builds guide shows where an active Great Rune fits a build.
From the source
Official“Patch Notes Version 1.17, 27 August 2026: support for the Tarnished Pack DLC (28 August 2026) and balance adjustments. No Rune Arc or Great Rune changes.”
Official“Elden Ring patch notes version 1.17.”
FAQ
It wakes the blessing of your equipped Great Rune until you die. With no Great Rune equipped it still raises your maximum HP a little.
The Twin Maiden Husks at the Roundtable Hold sell 5 for 4,000 runes each. 5 more merchants sell 3 each, for 20 in total.
Kill the Giant Rats in Earthbore Cave or the Castle Morne Rampart Gaol. Helping another player beat an area boss as a Furled Finger also pays 1 Rune Arc.
Yes, with a small effect. A Rune Arc raises your maximum HP a little when no Great Rune is equipped.
The blessing lasts until you die. It pauses while you visit another world as a phantom or invader.
A Great Rune must be restored at its Divine Tower. Equip it at a Site of Grace, then use a Rune Arc.
No. Rune Arcs cannot be traded between players.
Yes. On the Elden Ring runes page a PRO delivers runes that buy Rune Arcs from every merchant on the list.
- Page published: what a Rune Arc does, the 6 merchants that sell it, the farms and the Great Rune each one wakes.