How to Unlock and Socket Runes on Weapons in Lords of the Fallen

Blacksmith Gerlinde will be your go-to for any weapon upgrades in Lords of the Fallen, and she can also eventually allow you to socket Runes onto your equipment. Runes provide additional benefits to your weapons, improving their stat parameters or granting unique aspects under specific conditions. Like the Umbral Eyes, which you can slot into the Umbral Lamp, weapon Runes offer subtle changes to your playstyle to complement a character’s build. If you’re wondering how to unlock Rune socketing at Gerlinde’s shop and where to farm them, this guide will help. 

How to Unlock Rune Sockets in Lords of the Fallen

After freeing Gerlinde from a cage, she will venture to the Skyrest Bridge hub to offer blacksmith services. Upon your first interaction, her enslaved companion will discuss stone tablets hidden across Mournstead, which Gerlinde wants to acquire to learn their secrets. Finding one of the three tablets will unlock Gerlinde’s ability to socket weapon Runes. Of course, the challenge here is locating them.

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The first one you’ll come across is in Fitzroy’s Grove before The Ruiner boss on the bridge to Calrath. From the caves you came from, there is a room of dogs in a circle, not too far from a long wooden ladder. At the top and to the left is an Umbral bridge. Near here is a hidden path you can only reveal with the Umbral Lamp with a ladder going down. An NPC will be at the bottom that you can talk to, and further ahead is an Umbral flowerbed and treasure item. Loot the item to get the tablet, then return to Gerlinde to unlock the feature.

Where to Farm Runes in Lords of the Fallen

Aside from buying standard weapon Runes from Gerlinde in Lords of the Fallen, most of the really great Runes are dropped from specific enemies or looted on the map. Like Blood Gems in Bloodborne, you farm Runes by killing these enemies repeatedly for a random chance at getting them. You can increase your odds by leveling the Radiance stat to improve the drop rate.

Umbral enemies, such as reapers found in Calrath and other zones, regularly drop Runes. Furthermore, foes who resemble previous bosses in Axiom can also drop them. Unfortunately, Runes come in different shapes, meaning weapons are restricted in what Runes can be slotted. The entire system isn’t too complicated, but it can take some time until you see the benefits of it in this souslike. Regardless, once you start getting and equipping better Runes, you’ll see a difference the next time you run into battle in Lords of the Fallen.