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Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minuteDead Cells has eight permanent runes in the base game, and each one comes from a specific room or guardian in a specific biome. Richter Mode does not use the same rune list. It adds two pedestal abilities, Dash and High Jump, which are covered separately below.
All base-game runes at a glance
The table lists each rune, where it sits, what guards it or grants it, and what it does once you have it.
| Rune | Where to find it | Guardian or source | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vine Rune | Promenade of the Condemned, in the hall under an overpass | Elite Undead Archer | Causes climbable vines to grow |
| Customization Rune | Ramparts, in a room near the biome entrance | An Undead Archer or Zombie guards it | Unlocks Custom Mode |
| Challenger’s Rune | Black Bridge | The Concierge | Unlocks the Daily Run |
| Teleportation Rune | Toxic Sewers, in the elite room | Elite Slasher | Activates paired teleportation tombs |
| Ram Rune | Ossuary, in the special elite room | Elite Slasher | Breaks marked floor sections and opens Ancient Sewers from Toxic Sewers |
| Explorer’s Rune | Forgotten Sepulcher, near the end of the biome | Two elite rooms, then two Dark Trackers whose Crypt Keys open the rune room | Reveals the whole map once 80% of the biome is explored |
| Spider Rune | Slumbering Sanctuary | Elite Caster | Lets the player cling to walls and opens several biome connections |
| Homunculus Rune | Throne Room | Granted automatically after defeating the Hand of the King | Lets you detach the head for remote use; enables the Cavern Key in Prisoners’ Quarters; cannot be used while cursed |
Route-opening runes
Four of the eight base-game runes change how you move between biomes. If you are trying to reach a specific area, these are the ones to prioritise.
Vine Rune
The Vine Rune comes from the elite Undead Archer in the Promenade of the Condemned. Once active, it causes climbable vines to grow. It is needed to continue through the Promenade, and it opens the route from Prisoners’ Quarters to the Toxic Sewers.
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Teleportation Rune
The Teleportation Rune activates paired teleportation tombs. Those tombs open the route from Prisoners’ Quarters to the Dilapidated Arboretum, and the route from the Promenade to the Ossuary. Several other listed links also depend on it.
Ram Rune
The Ram Rune is the only route rune in the Ossuary, and the Ossuary can be entered in two ways:
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- From Promenade: you need the Teleportation Rune.
- From Prison Depths: you need the Spider Rune.
Once you have the Ram Rune, it breaks marked floor sections and opens Ancient Sewers from Toxic Sewers.
Spider Rune
The Spider Rune is the wall-clinging movement unlock. It also opens several biome connections, including the routes to Prison Depths and Corrupted Prison. Because it is the key to Prison Depths, it is worth collecting before you plan a route through that area.
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Mode, map, and ability runes
Three of the base-game runes do not change routes. They unlock modes, reveal map information, or add a remote-control ability.
Customization Rune
The Customization Rune unlocks Custom Mode. It is one of the first runes most players can reach, since it sits in a Ramparts room near the biome entrance.
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- Nonlinear progression: sewers, ossuary or ramparts? Once unlocked, special permanent abilities allow you to access new paths to reach your objective.
Challenger’s Rune
The Challenger’s Rune unlocks the Daily Run. You earn it by defeating the Concierge in Black Bridge.
Explorer’s Rune
The Explorer’s Rune is found near the end of Forgotten Sepulcher. Reaching it requires going through two elite rooms, then defeating two Dark Trackers and using the Crypt Keys they drop to enter the rune room. Once you have it and have explored 80% of the biome, it reveals the whole map along with points of interest, including enemies, items, and scrolls. It does not reveal blueprints.
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Homunculus Rune
The Homunculus Rune is the exception to the guardian-room pattern. It is not dropped by an enemy; it is granted automatically once you defeat the Hand of the King in the Throne Room. It lets you detach the head and use it remotely, including collecting or pulling items and interacting with enemies. The ability is required to obtain the Cavern Key in Prisoners’ Quarters. It cannot be used while you are cursed.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Richter Mode pedestal abilities
Richter Mode does not use runes for its extra abilities. Each one sits on a pedestal:
- Dash: on a pedestal near the start of Richter Mode. It gives Richter the dash ability.
- High Jump: on a pedestal on the right side of the Richter Mode map. It gives Richter a high jump.
How rune pickups work
- Guardian-room runes take effect as soon as you pick them up.
- You do not need to carry them to the Collector, and you do not buy them with cells.
- The Homunculus Rune is the only base-game rune in this guide that is granted automatically rather than dropped on defeat.
Version and platform notes
This guide follows the community-maintained Dead Cells wiki, reviewed on 8 October 2026. The wiki does not state which game build its entries reflect, and it does not confirm that locations and guardians are identical on every platform or after every patch. If a room, guardian, or unlock does not match what you see, check the current patch notes first, since a version difference is the most likely cause.
Quick Recap
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