Runes (Origins)

There are two different types of runes : Weapon Runes and Armor Runes. Weapon Runes are available in Dragon Age: Origins and in Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening while Armor Runes are only available in Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening.

Runes can be applied to (or removed from) equipment by Bodahn Feddic's son, Sandal at the party's Camp (Dragon Age: Origins or Ambassador Cera at Vigil's Keep (Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening]].

Runes are applied to weapons or armor to add a bonus to that item. There is no cost associated with adding or removing runes, and runes can be reused after removal. This makes it easy to tailor equipment to meet particular challenges. Runes come in one of 5 tiers of power, from Novice to Grandmaster.

Weapon Runes
Weapon Runes can be applied to certain weapons to provide permanent bonuses to that weapon's effects. There are nine types of Weapon Runes, each of which provides a different effect. Generally these are offensive effects, such as fire damage, slow, or paralysis, though weapons can also offer bonuses to physical or spell resistances.

Runes fire independently. Thus, multiple Runes of Paralysis will increase the Paralysis chance. While an effect like Paralysis or Slow is active, the same kind of effect cannot be triggered again (and the time of the effect is not extended).

Items increasing elemental damage will increase elemental damage from Runes as well.

Each weapon has a certain number of rune slots, depending on the material from which it is made. For example, iron weapons have no slots while Dragonbone items offer 3.

Armor Runes
Armor Runes can be applied to certain chest armor to provide permanent bonuses to that armor. There are five types of Armor Runes, each of which provides a different effect. Generally these are defensive effects, such as armor, elemental resistances, and chance to avoid missile attacks, although there are some that increase base attributes (constitution and willpower).

Some chest armor come with slots for runes. Not all armors seem to provide rune slots. Silverite armor offers 2.

Runecrafting

Novice Runes, Blank Runes and Etching Agents can be purchased Ambassador Cera at Vigil's Keep. Crafting starts with a Novice Rune, which can be turned into a Journeyman Rune by using a Blank Rune. 2 Journeyman Runes may then be upgraded to a Blank Rune to become an Expert Rune. 2 Expert Runes can then be converted to a Master Rune by using a Blank Rune and 3 Etching Agents. 2 Master Runes may then be turned int a Grandmaster Rune using 1 Blank Rune and 2 Etching Agents. If the math is carried out it can be seen that 8 Novice Runes, 15 Blank Runes and 10 Etching Agents are needed to make a Grandmaster Rune. Farming for Gold is not suggested for this application as even the simplest of Grandmaster Runes will cost 6 Gold 24 Silver and 25 Copper and will only net 2 Gold and 25 Silver.