Median XL contains the standard Diablo 2 gems with new bonuses, as well as 5 additional gem types and 20 additional runes. Also, since sockets can now appear on other armor pieces (gloves, belts, boots), the gem and rune effects for those pieces share the same effect as on armor. So for example if gem X gives life when used on weapons, mana on armor, and resistances on shields, if you slot it into a belt you will get the armor effect (mana).
| Gems |
Unfortunately, the new gem types are not considered as gems in some parts of the game; for example, you cannot upgrade them with Gem Shrines. This is a game limitation (not mod).
| Gemwords |
Gemwords are similar to Runewords, involving gems instead of runes. To make a gemword, use a grey (i.e. nonmagical, socketed) item, and put jewels into all sockets except one. Then fill that last socket with a gem. The resulting item will have the jewels' and gem's bonus as expected, with one difference: the gem bonus is multiplied by (number of sockets + 1).
- Example
Grey long war bow (4 sockets) + 3 jewels + 1 flawless Ruby
Bonus: jewel bonuses + (flawless Ruby bonus x5)
From the official website, we find that ruby gems on weapon grant +X Life after each kill, and that for flawless quality the value of X is 8. Thus, this gemword will give you the jewel bonuses and +(8 x5) Life after each kill (+40 Life after each kill). Not bad for a simple gem + jewels + socketed item.
As you can see, gemwords provide an affordable option for even low level characters who have specific bonus needs without having to sacrifice a lot of power to obtain them. Unlike runewords though, gemwords are not keyed with particular names - on the item you create, only the text "Gemword!" will appear in light bronze.
Items with only one socket may also have a gemword. In this case you don't need any jewels (only room for a gem, after all), and the resulting bonus is simply (1 + 1) = 2 times the bonus of the gem.
| Runes |
For the full runes list, please see the official website.
Special note: The three Greater Runes are not obtainable from the simple Horadric Cube upgrade recipe, nor can they be downgraded. They are level 100, and can only be found in the Faustinville uberlevel on Destruction difficulty.
- Taha
- Weapons - +40 to Maximum Damage
- Armor - +20 to Maximum Damage
- Shields - +20 to Maximum Damage
- Ghal
- Weapons - +15 Energy Factor to Spell Damage
- Armor - +5 Energy Factor to Spell Damage
- Shields - +5 Energy Factor to Spell Damage
- Qor
- Weapons - -12% Requirements
- Armor - -12% Requirements
- Shields - -12% Requirements
| Runewords |
As with gemwords, runewords can only be created in grey (nonmagical, socketed) items. Similarly, each runeword actually only requires one rune! However, this does not mean you can only make runewords in items with only one socket: just as with gemwords before, you fill up the other sockets with jewels first, and then only do you insert the rune into the final socket to get your runeword.
So how can Median XL sport 250+ runewords when each runeword consists of only 1 rune, and that there are fewer than that number of basic runes? Easy. The runeword you obtain is different depending on what base item you socket it into. For example, the rune Dol will result in the runeword Enyo when socketed into a weapon, Outlaw when socketed into boots, and Asmodai when socketed into a Paladin Shield.
Also, just as with gemwords, you still obtain the jewel bonuses on top of that! So your runeword item isn't necessarily the same as everybody elses'. In fact you may even find better jewels later to create a more powerful item of the same runeword :)
Finally, the list of runewords is even longer than the list of runes, so please refer to the official website for complete details.
For more detailed information, check out the official FAQ at http://modsbylaz.planetdiablo.gamespy.com/faq.html