WoW Season of Discovery complete Mage Rune guide with known locations

Mages have traditionally been one of the strongest DPS classes in Classic, particularly among casters, and the new Rune Engraving system in World of Warcraft: Season of Discovery is helping the class to reach new heights.

Rune Engraving plays a big part in the new seasonal Classic offering, allowing players to inscribe new abilities and buffs onto their armor pieces. In this first phase, three armor pieces, in Gloves, Chest and Legs, are available for engraving.

To unlock these Runes, players must explore Azeroth and face new challenges & puzzles, exploring refreshed areas and zones in the process. The power spikes they offer are significant, and picking up the best options for the chosen spec is vital to staying competitive in a world filled with more dangerous creatures than ever.

That said, here is our complete list of the Runes on offer to Mages and their associated effects.

Full Mage Rune list and effects in Season of Discovery

As a fair warning to those who may be unaware, a big part of the Season of Discovery is uncovering its secrets (as the name may suggest). Though the powers of the Runes are a small part of this, the guide also reveals locations and methods of attainment. Currently, 12 Runes are available to Mages in the first phase, with four for each slot.

Confirmed Mage Runes

Glove Runes

• Burnout
  • Instant
    • Increases your spell critical strike chance with all spells by 15%, but your non-periodic spell critical strikes now have an additional mana cost of 1% of your base mana.
• Fingers of Frost
  • Instant
    • Gives your Chill effects a 15% chance to grant you the Fingers of Frost effect, which treats your next 2 spells cast as if the target were Frozen. Lasts 15 sec.
• Regeneration
  • Instant
    • Heals the target for 485 health over 3 sec and applies Temporal Beacon for 30 sec. After casting this spell, you will suffer from Tangled Causality for 5 min, reducing your Fire and Frost spell damage done by 50% and preventing the use of Ice Block.
• Enlightenment
  • Instant
    • You deal 10% more damage while you have more than 70% mana. While below 30% mana, 10% of your mana regeneration continues while casting.

Chest Runes

• Ice Lance
  • Instant
    • Deals 23 to 27 Frost damage to an enemy target. Causes triple damage against Frozen targets.
• Rewind Time
  • Instant
    • Your current target with your Temporal Beacon instantly heals all damage taken over the last 5 seconds. Ineffective on targets that did not have a Temporal Beacon 5 seconds ago.
• Living Bomb
  • Instant
    • The target becomes a Living Bomb, taking 142 Fire damage over 12 sec. After 12 sec or when the spell is dispelled, the target explodes, dealing 72 Fire damage to all enemies 10 yards.
• Arcane Blast
  • 2.5-second cast
    • Blasts the target with energy, dealing 19 to 221 Arcane damage. Each time you cast Arcane Blast, the damage and healing of all other Arcane spells are increased by 15%, and the mana cost of Arcane Blast is increased by 175%. Effect stacks up to 4 times and lasts 6 sec or until any other Arcane damage or healing spell is cast.

Leg Runes

• Icy Veins
  • Instant
    • Hastens your spellcasting, increasing spell-casting speed by 20% and reduces the pushback suffered from damaging attacks while casting by 100%. Lasts 20 sec.
• Arcane Surge
  • Instant
    • Unleash all of your remaining mana in a surge of energy focused at the target dealing 95 to 111 Arcane damage, increased by up to 300% based on your mana remaining. Afterward, your normal mana regeneration is activated and increased by 300% for 8 sec.
• Mass Regeneration
  • Instant
    • Heals all of the target player’s party members within 15 yards of the target player for 262 health over 3 sec and applies Temporal Beacon to each target for 15 sec. After casting this spell, you will suffer from Tangled Causality for 5 min, reducing your Fire and Frost spell damage done by 50% and preventing the use of Ice Block.
• Living Flame
  • Instant
    • Summons a spellfire flame that moves toward the target, leaving a trail of spellfire. This trail deals 42 Spellfire damage every second to nearby enemies. Lasts 20 sec.

There are undoubtedly some standout options among the Mage Runes, with most likely to go with Arcane Blast, as Fire damage takes a backseat in the first phase. Equally, the new healing Runes should allow experienced players of the class to take it in a new direction entirely.

Known Mage Rune locations for all races

Chest Runes

• Burnout
  • Human: Kill and loot the Frozen Murloc near Stone Carin Lake in Elwynn Forest. Must use Fire spells to stack the debuff to five.
  • Gnome: Kill and loot the Frozen Trogg in the starting area. Must use Fire spells to stack the debuff to five.
  • Troll: Kill and loot the Frozen Makrura near Razor Hill. Must use Fire spells to stack the debuff to five.
  • Undead: Kill and loot the Frozen Murloc in Tirisfal Glade. Must use Fire spells to stack the debuff to five.
• Fingers of Frost
  • Human: Kill and loot Hogger in Elwynn Forest.
  • Gnome: Kill and loot Timber in Iceflow Lake. Alternatively, the Rune drops from Vagash and Old Icebeard.
  • Troll: Kill and loot Zalazane in the Southern portion of the Echo Isles.
  • Undead: Kill and loot Gillgar in Northwest Tirisfal Glades.
• Regeneration
  • Human: Kill and loot Defias Pillager in Westfall.
  • Gnome: Go to the northern island of Loch Modan. Search for the hut with the stack of boots and loot the Runes from there.
  • Troll: Find a Kolkar’s Booty chest and loot the Rune in The Barrens.
  • Undead: Kill and loot Dalaran Apprentice in Silverpine Forest.
• Enlightenment
  • Alliance – Track down critters in Elwynn Forest that have the Wild Polymorph debuff. Use Polymorph on six different critters and loot Azora Apprentice Notes from the final kill to learn the Rune.
  • Horde – Polymorph six melons at Solliden Farmstead in Tirisfal, looting the Sorcerer’s Notes on the floor after doing so.

Glove Runes

• Ice Lance
  • This is the first Rune for all Mages, available via the Spell Research quest in the starting zones at Level 2.
• Rewind Time
  • Sold by Grizzly in Ratchet. To buy the Rune, it is a requirement to complete the following pre-quests:
    • Fish Oil
    • Shredder Turbochargers
    • Dark Iron Ordinance
• Living Bomb
  • Alliance – This is a drop from Stonesplinter Seers in Loch Modan.
  • Horde – This is, unfortunately, more complicated for Horde toons. Head to Fenris Isle in Silverpine Forest and kill Rot Hides. They will eventually drop A Talking Head. In the courtyard, there is a grave that players can interact with to get a quest called The Hidden Niche. Go to the castle and head to the top left tower. There will then be a Dusty Shelf to interact with. This will provide the final quest to go to Undercity and get the Rune.
• Arcane Blast
  • For both factions, head to the Zoram Strand and start killing Wrathtail Naga. They will eventually drop Naga Manuscript. This manuscript will have a riddle that will lead the player to three crystals. At each crystal, cast Arcane Explosion and then use the book again to learn the Rune.

Leg Runes

• Icy Veins
  • This is a relatively lengthy expedition to collect ten books. Seven are the same for both factions and as follows:
    • Arcanic Systems Manual is found in The Sludge Fen.
    • Bewitchments and Glamours is in Moonbrook in Westfall.
    • Runes of the Sorcerer-Kings in The Ogre Cave in Loch Modan.
    • Fury of the Land is by the Grimtotems in Stonetalon Mountains.
    • Secrets of the Dreamers is near the portal to the Wailing Caverns dungeon.
    • Crimes Against Anatomy is in Raven Hill Crypt in Duskwood.
    • The Dalaran Digest, Vol. 23 is in Amber Mill in Silverpine Forest.
• Arcane Surge
  • Achieve Honored reputation with the Supply Factions. These are Durotar Supply and Logistics for Horde and Azeroth Commerce Authority for Alliance. The Rune can then be purchased for 4g 50s.
• Mass Regeneration
  • This is the same for both factions:
    • Go to the crypt in the North East of Raven Hill in Duskwood. In the first room on the left, interact with the Decrepit Phylactery.
    • Leave the crypt and then head to the similar crypt in the west of Raven Hill. In the room with the throne, use the Decrepit Phylactery on the Slumbering Bones. An Elite, Level 25 Lich will spawn. Defeat it and loot the Rune.
• Living Flame
  • Humans – Kill and loot Kobold Geomancers in Jasperlode Mine.
  • Gnome – Kill and loot Frostmane Shadowcasters or Seers West of Brewnall Village near Ironforge.
  • Undead – Kill and loot Scarlet Warrior in Tirisfal Glades.
  • Other Horde – Kill and loot Burning Blade Fanatic in Skull Rock, East of Orgrimmar in Durotar.

Make sure to check out Dexerto’s other Season of Discovery guides, all of which will remain updated throughout the season.