Carull Runes in Bloodborne work in a similar way to how rings worked in the Dark Souls series.
Unlike rings though, Caryll Runes are not equippable by default; you need a special item called the Rune Workshop Tool, which will allow you to use the Memory Altar in Hunter’s Dream to ‘equip’ these runes.
Actually, they aren’t exactly equipped in a physical sense. They are actually ‘memorized’, and there is a limited amount of them you can memorize at one time.
Don’t worry though, as you can always switch back and forth between them on this Memory Altar. Yes, that means that you’ll have to go back to Hunter’s Dream to actually do this, which isn’t as convenient as swapping rings was in the Souls series.
For more help on Bloodborne, read our Weapons Locations Guide, Character Class Guide and Combat Guide.
Below is the list of all the currently known Runes in the game, along with their uses and their locations. Some Caryll Runes are found in multiple locations – these are actually boosted versions of the vanilla rune, and will offer additional bonuses.
This guide is currently a work in progress. Some information may be missing.
Anti-Clockwise Metamorphosis
Use: Boosts Max Stamina (+10%)
Location: 1) Deep in the Forbidden Woods you will find a river area with lots of Snake Clusters.
Head uphill near the river to find a larger snake cluster, take it out, and then check around for another one near the riverbed. There should be a small ledge you can drop to here. Head down and follow the ravine and take out the bulb-headed enemies.
Eventually you’ll come across a corpse with this Rune on it.
Location: 2) In the Lecture Building, you’ll come across a large enemy guarding a ladder that leads to a locked door on the first floor. Take him out and head down there to find a very strange spider-man thing. Talk to him and he’ll give you this rune.
Arcane Lake
Use: Increases Arcane defense. Arcane Damage Reduction (+7%).
Location: 1) At the beginning of Byrgenwerth, you need to go to the left of the lamp. Head up the hill to find a lone tree. You can find the rune along the wall with an enemy defending it.
Location: 2) In Yahar’gul, Unseen Village, when you exit the jail below Yahar’gul Chapel to the street, head to the right to find a corpse near a wagon and some enemies. The rune is on this corpse.
Beast
Use: Boosts effect from transformation. Temporary boost to transform (+20).
Location
In the Cathedral Ward, when you cross the bridge from Oedon Chapel to the Healing Church Workshop, head to the right instead of going inside. You’ll need to follow the ledges here all the way down.
You’ll have to be careful, as towards the end there’s a pretty challenging werewolf enemy down there. Take him out to get the rune.
Blood Rapture
Use: Visceral attacks restore HP (+200)
Location: Defeat the Shadow of Yharnam boss to obtain this rune.
Clawmark
Use: Strengthens visceral attacks (+20%)
Location: In Yahar’gul, Unseen Village, this rune can be found in the Yahar’gul Chapel. When you reach the main floor of the Chapel you will be attacked by three Hunters. One of them drops the Clawmark rune.
You can also get the Moon rune from a corpse over here.
Clear Deep Sea
Use: Increases slow poison resistance.
Location: 1) In the Forbidden Woods, when you reach the area with the snake clusters, head uphill near the river to fight a large snake cluster. After defeating it, check behind the tombstone to find the rune.
Location: 2) In Nightmare Frontier, there is a large poison lake at the bottom of the location. Look for a small passageway to enter, and then go uphill. There will be an enemy throwing boulders and the rune here.
Clockwise Metamorphosis
Use: Boosts Max HP (+5%)
Location: In the Forbidden Woods, deep into the area you’ll be in a swamp and notice two fires in a fenced area just after defeating a pig. Go uphill and then head up the set of steps to the gate here.
Open the gate and take out the enemy, then check the corpse to find the rune.
Communion
Use: Higher Blood Vial Maximum.
Location: 1) After defeating the Blood Starved Beast in the Cathedral Ward, a new door will open, head through it and ride the elevator to the upper floor. Take out the wheelchair enemy and open the chest to the rune.
Location: 2) The first Communion is found in Isofeka’s Clinic. Follow the cave path at the back of the Forbidden Woods’ village, and after reaching the clinic follow the hallway to the left to find this in a chest.
Location: 3) In the Lecture Building, you will need to access the second floor through the lantern. Head around the perimeter of the building to spot a large building with a doorway that leads to a classroom. Head through this room and cross the balcony to the small room that has a chest which contains the third form of this rune.
Corruption
Use: Continuous health regeneration when near death. (+1)
Location: In order to obtain this Rune, you will need to join the Cainhurst Vilebloods convenant in Cainhurst Castle.
Deep Sea
Use: Increases Frenzy resistance
Location: Deep in the Forbidden Woods, you’ll come across an area where you’ll have to drop into the ravines. Instead of doing so, move forward and head downhill till you come across some snake enemies.
Take them out and you’ll find that they were guarding this rune.
Dissipating Lake
Use: Bolt Damage Reduction (+5%).
Location: After grabbing the Anti-Clockwise Metamorphosis rune in the Forbidden Woods, you can continue down the ravine to come across a large swamp. Head to the right to fight a pig enemy and take the left fork under the tree roots to find the rune.
Eye
Use: Make additional discoveries (Increases discovery rate).
Location: In the Nightmare of Mensis, you can go from the Mergo’s Loft: Base Lantern to find two boulder-throwing enemies that are guarding this rune.
Fading Lake
Use: Fire DMG Reduction (+5%)
Location: In Nightmare Frontier, head from the main lantern till you come across a strange inverted lamp-post. There is a hill that runs on the left – follow it up and then drop down to a second hill.
Head up on this hill till you find the rune on a corpse.
Formless Oedon
Use: Higher Quicksilver Bullet max.
Location: 1) In the Cathedral Ward, the Chapel caretaker in the Oedon Chapel can die towards the later stages. He will leave this rune behind.
Location: 2) In the Cathedral Ward, when you are taking the elevator up in Oedon Chapel, roll off midway as it ascends to reach the rooftop outside. Follow the path to the top of the Chapel to find the rune in a chest.
Great Deep Sea
Use: Increases all resistance types.
Location:
Heir
Location: Just slightly past the Yahar’gul, Unseen Village lantern, you can head down the stairs and go to the left side to find a set of enemies. Fight your way through them to a celled area.
Head out of here and through the destroyed wall into another celled area. Follow the room around to find the rune against some cell bars.
Hunter
Use: Increases the Hunter’s stamina recovery speed
Location: Earned by completing the Eileen-the-Crow’s quest-line, when you join the Hunter of Hunters covenant.
Lake
Use: Boosts physical defense (+3%).
Location: In the Hemwick Charnel Lane, you’ll need to go straight to the iron door from the lantern. You will need to open this door by going to its right and following the path until you come back to the iron door from the other side.
After this, go straight again till you reach the end of the path and you see water. There will be a corpse on a small ledge with the Lake rune here.
Moon
Use: Acquire more Blood Echoes.
Location: 1) See the location of the Clawmark Rune
Location: 2) In the Nightmare of Mensis, you can find this rune after defeating Micolash, Host of the Nightmare. After reaching the large staircase, head down all the way past the enemies to find a corpse at the end with this rune.
Murky Deep Sea
Use: Adds slow poison RES (+100).
Location:
Oedon Writhe
Use: Visceral Attacks grant Quicksilver Bullets (+2).
Location: You can obtain this rune by battling Isofeka herself in Isofeka’s Clinic. She’ll drop this rune when defeated (see Communion location to find the Clinic).
Radiance
Use: Increases HP recovered by blood vials.
Location: Revisit the statue outside the entrance to the Tomb of Oedon where you first meet Alfred in the later stages of the game to find his dead body that possesses this rune.
Stunning Deep Sea
Use: Increases rapid poison RES by +200.
Location: