Cube Recipes

The Horadric Cube is a quest item you must have to complete the main quests in Act Two and Act Three. However it's much more than just a quest item, it has a ton of other cool features that make it useful throughout the entire game.

• See the Crafting Cubing and Socketing Guide for very detailed information and strategies on all in-game item improvement recipes and techniques.

Cube Operation

To use the Horadric Cube, simply drag and drop items on it. They will automatically be positioned within the cube, assuming there's enough free space for them to fit. To open the cube, right click on it, then click and drag to move items between the cube and your inventory. Dropping the cube will instantly move everything from the cube to your inventory, with anything you lack space for dropping to the ground. The cube can be held in your inventory or your town stash. To convert items in the cube, click the transmute button, visible only when the cube is open. If invalid items are in the cube or the recipe is not possible for some reason, your character will say, "I can't do that."

• Items will be Identified by Cain while inside the Horadric Cube.
• Only one Horadric Cube can be picked up by the same character, and it's impossible to place one cube inside another one.
• Cubes can be passed down to characters who have not found one yet, such as "mule" characters who want them for extra storage.
  • If a cube is lost, a new one can be retrieved from level 3 of the Halls of the Dead, in Act Two, or If you dont have one when The Council is killed, ( Act 3, Quest 5 ) another one will drop.
• The Horadric Cube is required to create Crafted Items, as well as the following recipes.

This page lists all working recipes for the Horadric Cube. New recipes are frequently added in patches, and the function of some existing recipes are tweaked for better game balance.

Secret Cow Level

Wirt's Leg + A Tome of Town Portal --> Red Portal to the Secret Cow Level

• The recipe must be performed in the Rogue Camp (Act One Town).
• A character must first defeat Diablo (in D2C) or Baal (in D2X) on that difficulty level to open the portal.
• Characters who have received credit for killing the Cow King on that difficulty level may not open the portal (but may pass through it if someone else does).

See the Secret Cow Level page for more details.

Pandemonium Event

See the Pandemonium Event page for details on these recipes and the quest they are part of.

• These recipes must be executed in Harrogath (Act Five Town) in a Hell difficulty game on the Battle.net Realms. They do not work in single player.

Key of hate + Key of Terror + Key of Destruction --> Red Portal to either the Matron's Den, Furnace of Pain, or Forgotten Sands. (Which of the 3 portals opens is random, but they will not repeat if opened in the same game.

Baal's Eye + Diablo's Horn + Mephisto's Brain --> Red Portal to Uber Tristram

Upgrade Recipes

One of the most useful features of the cube is its ability to upgrade simple items into more powerful ones. Gems, runes, potions, and various other small objects can be combined and improved in the cube.

Gems

Gems can be upgraded from chipped all the way to perfect. Three of the same kind and quality will yield one of the same kind of the next higher quality. This works for all seven types of gems. Skulls included. For example:

• 3 chipped topaz --> 1 flawed topaz
• 3 flawed topaz --> 1 topaz
• 3 topaz --> 1 flawless topaz
• 3 flawless topaz --> 1 perfect topaz.

Runes

Much like gems, runes can be upgraded to higher quality, burning three to create one of the next type. Check the Rune list for full details.

• 3 El Runes --> 1 Eld Rune
• 3 Eld Runes --> 1 Tir Rune
• 3 Tir Runes --> 1 Nef Rune
• 3 Nef Runes --> 1 Eth Rune
• 3 Eth Runes --> 1 Ith Rune
• 3 Ith Runes --> 1 Tal Rune
• 3 Tal Runes --> 1 Ral Rune
• 3 Ral Runes --> 1 Ort Rune
• 3 Ort Runes --> 1 Thul Rune

That was as far as Runes could be upgraded until the v1.10 patch added the following recipes. (They do not work in v1.09 or earlier patches.)

• 3 Thul Runes + 1 Chipped Topaz --> 1 Amn Rune
• 3 Amn Runes + 1 Chipped Amethyst --> 1 Sol Rune
• 3 Sol Runes + 1 Chipped Sapphire --> 1 Shael Rune
• 3 Shael Runes + 1 Chipped Ruby --> 1 Dol Rune

Higher level runes can also be upgraded, but only in v1.10 and later and only by single-player, realm, or ladder characters.

• 3 Dol Runes + 1 Chipped Emerald --> 1 Hel Rune
• 3 Hel Runes + 1 Chipped Diamond --> 1 Io Rune
• 3 Io Runes + 1 Flawed Topaz --> 1 Lum Rune
• 3 Lum Runes + 1 Flawed Amethyst --> 1 Ko Rune
• 3 Ko Runes + 1 Flawed Sapphire --> 1 Fal Rune
• 3 Fal Runes + 1 Flawed Ruby --> 1 Lem Rune
• 3 Lem Runes + 1 Flawed Emerald --> 1 Pul Rune
• 2 Pul Runes + 1 Flawed Diamond --> 1 Um Rune
• 2 Um Runes + 1 Topaz --> Mal Rune
• 2 Mal Runes + 1 Amethyst --> Ist Rune
• 2 Ist Runes + 1 Sapphire --> Gul Rune
• 2 Gul Runes + 1 Ruby --> Vex Rune
• 2 Vex Runes + 1 Emerald --> Ohm Rune
• 2 Ohm Runes + 1 Diamond --> Lo Rune
• 2 Lo Runes + 1 Flawless Topaz --> Sur Rune
• 2 Sur Runes + 1 Flawless Amethyst --> Ber Rune
• 2 Ber Runes + 1 Flawless Sapphire --> Jah Rune
• 2 Jah Runes + 1 Flawless Ruby --> Cham Rune
• 2 Cham Runes + 1 Flawless Emerald --> Zod Rune

A handy way to remember which gems are required for the upgrades past Ort is by using the acronym TASRED. As in, "Don't taze me, dude." ("Tasered" is the correct spelling, but that would repeat the "E".) Each gem except the skull: Topaz, Amethyst, Sapphire, Ruby, Emerald, Diamond, is used, in repeating order and increasing quality. So Thul is T (to make Amn), Amn is A(to make Sol), Sol is S (to make Shael), etc.

Potions

Any quality of healing or mana potion can be used in the following recipes. Any type of gem (including skulls) can be used as well.

• 3 health potions + 3 mana potions + 1 chipped gem --> 1 partial rejuvenation potion
• 3 health potions + 3 mana potions + 1 normal quality gem --> 1 full rejuvenation potion
• 3 partial rejuvenation potions --> 1 full rejuvenation potion

Runeword Preparation Recipes

1 Hel Rune + Scroll of Town Portal + Any Socketed Item --> Remove items from sockets

• Removes the jewels, gems, or runes from the sockets in an item.
• The items in the sockets are destroyed, and all bonuses granted by those items are removed.

1 Eld Rune + 1 Chipped Gem + Low Quality Weapon --> Normal Quality Weapon of same type

• ilvl = 1
  • This recipe is useful to upgrade a low quality weapon to normal quality. It can then be used in other recipes to add sockets, in preparation for turning it into a runeword.

1 El Rune + 1 Chipped Gem + Low Quality Armor --> Normal Quality Armor of same type

• ilvl = 1.
  • This recipe is useful to upgrade a low quality armor to normal quality. It can then be used in other recipes to add sockets, in preparation for turning it into a runeword.

1 Tal Rune + 1 Thul Rune + 1 Perfect Topaz + Normal Body Armor --> Socketed Body Armor of same type

• This recipe adds 1-4 sockets to the armor, making it potentially useful for a Runeword.
• The game always rolls for up to 6 sockets with this recipe. The amount of sockets is then capped to the maximum amount that particular item can have. Armor that can only have up to 2 sockets would therefore have a 1/6 chance of 1, and a 5/6 chance of 2.

1 Ral Rune + 1 Amn Rune + 1 Perfect Amethyst + Normal Weapon = Socketed Weapon of same type

• This recipe adds 1-6 sockets to the weapon, making it potentially useful for a runeword.
• The game rolls for up to 6 sockets with this recipe. If a weapon can not have 6 sockets, then the number is capped to the maximum for that particular item after the roll. A weapon with 3 sockets maximum would have 1/6 chance for 1, 1/6 chance for 2, and 4/6 chance for 3.

1 Ral Rune + 1 Thul Rune + 1 Perfect Sapphire + Normal Helm --> Socketed Helm of same type

• This recipe adds 1-3 sockets to the helm, making it potentially useful for a Runeword.
• The game always rolls for up to 6 sockets with this recipe. The amount of sockets is then capped to the maximum amount that particular item can have. A helm type that only allows 2 sockets would have a 1/6 chance of 1, and a 5/6 chance of 2.

1 Tal Rune + 1 Amn Rune + 1 Perfect Ruby + Normal Shield --> Socketed Shield of same type

• This recipe adds 1-4 sockets to the shield, making it potentially useful for a Runeword.
• The game always rolls for up to 6 sockets with this recipe. The amount of sockets is then capped to the maximum amount that particular item can have. A shield that can only have 3 sockets will have a 1/6 chance of 1, 1/6 chance of 2, and 4/6 chance of 3.

Item Upgrades

Various recipes to upgrade the quality of uniques and rares. Will not work on crafted items or runewords. These recipes do not alter the modifiers on items; they merely upgrade the base item type, from normal to exceptional, or exceptional to elite, enabling greater damage or higher defense.

3 Perfect Skulls + 1 Rare Item + Stone of Jordan --> Add 1 Socket To a Rare Item

• Only one socket will be added.
• Will not add a socket to an item that already has one.
• Does not work on items that can not have sockets, such as throwing items, boots, gloves, belts, etc.

1 Ral Rune + 1 Sol Rune + 1 Perfect Emerald + Normal Unique Weapon --> Exceptional Version of Weapon

• v1.10 and later only.
• This recipe upgrades the item type of the weapon without changing the stats, and is useful to increase the weapon's damage.
• Ethereal items, as well as socketed items can be upgraded without changing their nature.
• Level requirements, as well as strength and dexterity requirements, will increase corresponding to the exceptional version of the item.

1 Tal Rune + 1 Shael Rune + 1 Perfect Diamond + Normal Unique Armor --> Exceptional Version of Armor

• v1.10 and later only.
• This recipe upgrades the item type of the armor without changing the stats, and is useful to increase the armor's defence.
• Ethereal items, as well as socketed items can be upgraded without changing their nature.
• Level requirements, as well as strength requirements, will increase corresponding to the exceptional version of the item.
• Works on all types of armor, not just body armor. Helms, boots, belts, etc.

1 Lum Rune + 1 Pul Rune + 1 Perfect Emerald + Exceptional Unique Weapon --> Elite Version of Weapon

• v1.10 and later only.
• Ladder characters and single player characters only.
• This recipe upgrades the item type of the weapon without changing the stats, and is useful to increase the weapon's damage.
• Ethereal items, as well as socketed items can be upgraded without changing their nature.
• Level requirements, as well as strength and dexterity requirements, will increase corresponding to the elite version of the item.

1 Ko Rune + 1 Lem Rune + 1 Perfect Diamond + Exceptional Unique Armor --> Elite Version of Armor

• v1.10 and later only.
• Ladder characters and single player characters only.
• This recipe upgrades the item type of the armor without changing the stats, and is useful to increase the armor's defense.
• Ethereal items, as well as socketed items can be upgraded without changing their nature.
• Level requirements, as well as strength requirements, will increase corresponding to the elite version of the item.

1 Ort Rune + 1 Amn Rune + 1 Perfect Sapphire + Normal (Basic) Rare Weapon --> Exceptional Rare Weapon

• v1.10 and later only.
• This recipe upgrades the item type of the weapon without changing the stats, and is useful to increase the weapon's damage.
• Ethereal items, as well as socketed items can be upgraded without changing their nature.
• Level requirements, as well as strength and dexterity requirements, may increase corresponding to the exceptional version of the item.

1 Ral Rune + 1 Thul Rune + 1 Perfect Amethyst + Normal (Basic) Rare Armor --> Exceptional Rare Armor

• v1.10 and later only.
• This recipe upgrades the item type of the armor without changing the stats, and is useful to increase the armor's defense.
• Ethereal items, as well as socketed items can be upgraded without changing their nature.
• Level requirements, as well as strength requirements, may increase corresponding to the exceptional version of the item.

1 Fal Rune + 1 Um Rune + 1 Perfect Sapphire + Exceptional Rare Weapon --> Elite Rare Weapon

• v1.10 and later only.
• This recipe upgrades the item type of the armor without changing the stats, and is useful to increase the weapon's damage.
• Ethereal items, as well as socketed items can be upgraded without changing their nature.
• Level requirements, as well as strength and dexterity requirements, may increase corresponding to the elite version of the item.

1 Ko Rune + 1 Pul Rune + 1 Perfect Amethyst + Exceptional Rare Armor --> Elite Rare Armor

• v1.10 and later only.
• This recipe upgrades the item type of the armor without changing the stats, and is useful to increase the armor's defense.
• Ethereal items, as well as socketed items can be upgraded without changing their nature.
• Level requirements, as well as strength requirements, may increase corresponding to the exceptional version of the item.

Repairs and Recharges

1 Ort Rune + Weapon --> Fully Repaired Weapon

• v1.10 and later only.
• This recipe will fully repair an item without visiting the NPC blacksmith. This is useful to avoid a trip to town, or to repair some weapons that have astronomical repair costs, due to irregularities in how the game determines the price for repairs.
• Does not work on ethereal items.
• Charges on an item are not replenished.

1 Ral Rune + Armor --> Fully Repaired Armor

• v1.10 and later only.
• This recipe will fully repair an item without visiting the NPC blacksmith. This is useful to avoid a trip to town, or to repair some armors that have astronomical repair costs, due to irregularities in how the game determines the price for repairs.
• Does not work on ethereal items.
• Charges on an item are not replenished.

1 Ort Rune + 1 Chipped Gem (any kind) + Weapon --> Fully Repaired and Recharged Weapon

• v1.10 and later only.
• This recipe will fully repair and recharge an item without visiting the NPC blacksmith. This is useful to avoid a trip to town, or to repair some armors that have astronomical repair costs, due to irregularities in how the game determines the price for repairs or recharges.
• Will not repair (but will recharge) ethereal items.

1 Ral Rune + 1 Flawed Gem (any kind) + Armor --> Fully Repaired and Recharged Armor

• v1.10 and later only.
• This recipe will fully repair and recharge an item without visiting the NPC blacksmith. This is useful to avoid a trip to town, or to repair some armor that have astronomical repair costs, due to irregularities in how the game determines the price for repairs or recharges.
• Will not repair (but will recharge) ethereal items.
• Works on every type of armor: boots, gloves, belts, etc.

Foraging Recipes

Useful tricks to quickly turn junk into something you need right then and there, usually to save a trip back to town. Any quality or type of item may be used in the following recipes.

• 2 Quivers of Bolts --> 1 Quiver of Arrows (random quantity)
• 2 Quivers of Arrows --> 1 Quiver of Bolts (random quantity)
• 1 Spear + 1 Quiver of Arrows --> 1 Stack of Javelins (non-magical, random quantity)
• 1 Axe + 1 Dagger --> A stack of throwing axes (non-magical, random quantity)
• 1 Strangling Gas Potion + 1 Healing Potion --> 1 Antidote Potion

Recycling Recipes

These useful recipes allow methodical players to turn their junk into treasure, with enough attempts and some good luck on the item generation roll.

3 Magic Amulets --> 1 Magic Ring

• ilvl = int(.75 * clvl).
  • The ring is created at 3/4 of the level of the character who rolls it. A level 80 character could make a lvl 60 ring, for instance. Refer to the list of prefixes and suffixes to see what mods are possible at every given level.

3 Magic Rings --> 1 Random Magic Amulet

• ilvl = int(.75 * clvl).
  • The amulet is created at 3/4 of the level of the character who rolls it. A level 80 character could make a lvl 60 amulet, for instance. Refer to the list of prefixes and suffixes to see what mods are possible at every given level.
  • +2 to a character's skills is a lvl 90 modifier, so can not be achieved with this recipe (level 99 char = ilvl 74 amulet)
    • +3 to a given skill mods are lvl 60, and can be achieved with this recipe, providing the rings and the character are fairly high level.

6 Perfect Skulls + 1 Rare Item --> 1 Random Low Quality Rare Item of the same type

• ilvl = int(.4 * clvl) + int(.4 * ilvl)
  • This recipe rerolls the rare item, resetting all the modifiers. The item level is lowered, but can still be fairly high, if the item and the character rolling it are high level. (Level 80 character and level 80 item would turn into 32 + 32 = ilvl 64.)
  • Note that the cube is only 12 spaces in size, and with 6 perfect skulls there's no room for 2x4 items such as large bows/xbows, polearms, spears, etc.

1 Perfect Skull + 1 Rare Item + Stone of Jordan --> 1 High Quality New Rare Item of the same type

• ilvl = int(.66 * clvl) + int(.66 * ilvl)
  • This recipe rerolls the rare item, resetting all the modifiers. The item level can remain quite high, or even increase, allowing higher level modifiers to occur.
  • Example: a level 80 character with a lvl 80 item = 52.8 + 52.8 = 105.6. This would allow any modifier in the game to spawn on the item.

3 Perfect Gems (of any type, including Skulls) + 1 Magic Item --> 1 New Random Magic Item of the Same Type

• The magic item is rerolled, with all stats reset. The ilvl is the same, so it's as if the same monster dropped it again.
• All magical items can be used, including charms, jewels, and jewelry.

Magical Item Creation

The most useful item creation is to make Crafted Items, which are listed on a separate page. The following recipes are oddly-inventive, but are only of use to low level characters, since the items aren't very powerful.

4 Health Potions (of any type) + Ruby (any type) + Magical Sword --> A Magic Sword of the Leech

• ilvl = 30. (Quite low.)
  • The sword must be magical, and this recipe will reset the stats, always granting "of the Leech" suffix (4-5% Life Stolen Per Hit).
  • There is a chance of getting a random prefix as well.

6 Perfect Gems (1 of each type) + 1 Amulet (Magic) --> Magic Prismatic Amulet

• ilvl = 50.
  • The amulet will always have the Prismatic prefix (All Resistances +16-20).
  • There is a chance at getting a suffix as well.

1 Magic Ring + 1 Perfect Emerald + 1 Antidote Potion --> 1 Jade Ring

• ilvl = 30.
  • Creates a ring with the Jade prefix (21-30% poison resistance).
  • A random suffix may occur as well.

1 Magic Ring + 1 Perfect Ruby + 1 Exploding Potion --> 1 Garnet Ring

• ilvl = 30.
  • Creates a ring with the Garnet prefix (21-30% fire resistance).
  • A random suffix may occur as well.

1 Magic Ring + 1 Perfect Topaz + 1 Rejuvenation Potion --> 1 Coral Ring

• ilvl = 30.
  • Creates a ring with the Coral prefix (21-30% lightning resistance).
  • A random suffix may occur as well.

1 Magic Ring + 1 Perfect Sapphire + 1 Thawing Potion --> 1 Cobalt Ring

• ilvl = 30.
  • Creates a ring with the Cobalt prefix (21-30% cold resistance).
  • A random suffix may occur as well.

1 Magic Shield (any type) + 1 Spiked Club (any quality) + 2 Skulls (any quality) --> Magic Shield of Spikes

• ilvl=30.
  • Rerolls the mods on a given type of shield, yielding a magic shield with the "of Spikes" suffix (Attacker Takes Damage of 4-6).
  • A random prefix may occur as well.
  • Can be used on any type of shield, including Paladin and Necromancer class items, which may spawn with their usual bonus properties.

1 Diamond + 1 Staff + 1 Kris + 1 Belt --> Savage Polearm Class Weapon

• ivl = 50.
  • Creates a polearm class weapon with the Savage prefix (66-80% Enhanced Damage).
  • May spawn with a random suffix as well.
  • The polearm type will randomly choose from a Bardiche, Battle Scythe, Bill, Halberd, Lochaber Axe, Partizan, Poleaxe, Scythe, Voulge, or War Scythe.

Low Quality Item Rerolls

These can be used multiple times on the same weapon, which allows one to re-do the roll if the new weapon is not of the desired quality or has only one socket.

3 Chipped Gems + 1 Magic Weapon --> Socketed Magic Weapon

• ilvl = 25.
  • This recipe rerolls the stats on a magical weapon, setting it with new, random modifiers and 1-2 sockets.
  • Magical weapons that can not have sockets, such as throwing weapons, will spawn with new modifiers but no sockets.

3 Standard Gems + 1 Socketed Weapon --> 1 Socketed Magic Weapon

• ilvl = 30
  • This recipe rerolls the stats on the weapon, creating a new magical version of the same weapon, with random modifiers and 1-2 sockets.
  • Any type of gems may be used, but they must be normal (between flawed and flawless) in quality.
  • Magical weapons that can not have sockets, such as throwing weapons, will spawn with new modifiers but no sockets.

3 Flawless Gems + 1 Magic Weapon --> Socketed Magic Weapon

• ilvl = 30
  • This recipe rerolls the stats on the weapon, creating a new magical version of the same weapon, with random modifiers and 1-2 sockets.
  • Magical weapons that can not have sockets, such as throwing weapons, will spawn with new modifiers but no sockets.

Stat Resets

1 of each essences --> Reset of stats

• In v1.13 a new choice was added, you could reset your stats by talking to Akara once in each difficulty by completing the Den of Evil quest in act 1.
  • In that same version, after using all of the stat resets, if you're still un-happy with your build, you could go out and defeat each end bosses of each act in Hell difficulty to receive an essence.
  • They are just a bit more rare than keys are to complete the pandemonium event.
  • Only works in v1.13 or later