Now a new concept seems to be evolving on the mythical land of Lamannia, Raid Runes. The mistrals are puzzled, but enthusiastically optimistic.

In the first case we have 'Codex Runes'. Only one raid gives these out and in differing amounts for each difficulty. This raid has no 20th list, rather it will have a trading system - which if I understand correctly will work something like this:

for completing on:
Elite with BB grants 5 Codex Runes (only once a life)
Elite grants 3 Codex Runes
Hard grants 2 Codex Runes
Normal grants 1 Codex Runes


If a raid has both heroic and epic/legendary difficulties - there will each have separate and different runes.

I would also go so far as to say adding an additional Rune for raid parties with at least 9 members (+1 Runes for all difficulties).

There will be a trader that will trade for named items from the raids. Say 40 Codex Runes can buy any named item from that raid.

This is more or less correct. 20th lists are largely replaced with the BTA "Codex Runes" (but different items for other raids). The most important factor here is that it allows us to reward hard and elite. In the past, it was common practice for many raids to simply play the raid 20 times on Normal. We don't want that to simply be the obviously best way to get the rewards from that raid. Since we do expect Hard an Elite to take more time and resources (and possible failure chance) compared to Normal, those difficulties should be more rewarding than Normal, as well.

20th lists are not ideal in terms of allowing players to play content in a way that is engages and challenges them. We know many players want to be challenged, but feel that method is "playing wrong" if they could get the same rewards faster by not being challenged.

As long as we get a choice for all the RAID NAMED ITEMS once we have collected the correct number of runes, and that the number of runes on Whatever Normal needed to get a pick at the list correspond to 20 completions I have no issues. 
Since basically it's the same mechanism :
- complete the Raid 20 times and get to pick a single Raid Named Item from the FULL Raid Named Item Loot List.
- Complete the Raid 20 times and get enough Runes to get a single Raid Named Item from the FULL Raid Named Item Loot List in exchange of your Runes.

What I have an issue with is NOT HAVING A CHOICE FROM THE FULL LIST every 20th completion or when giving the equivalent number of runes...

Hey, folks.

As we've mentioned in a few places, the U29 Legendary Raids will not feature 20th Reward Lists. Instead, you will receive Runes unique to each Raid which may be traded for the Raid's named items.

Why the new system?
This is best stated in a quote from Vargouille:
The most important factor here is that it allows us to reward hard and elite. In the past, it was common practice for many raids to simply play the raid 20 times on Normal. We don't want that to simply be the obviously best way to get the rewards from that raid. Since we do expect Hard an Elite to take more time and resources (and possible failure chance) compared to Normal, those difficulties should be more rewarding than Normal, as well.

20th lists are not ideal in terms of allowing players to play content in a way that is engages and challenges them. We know many players want to be challenged, but feel that method is "playing wrong" if they could get the same rewards faster by not being challenged.
This also has benefits, such as carrying across through Reincarnations.

So how will this work?
When you complete one of these Legendary Raids, "Rune" ingredients will drop in the raid's End Chest. (For example, Legendary Hound of Xoriat drops "Xorian Runes").
You always get SOME Runes, unless the chest is Ransacked. The exact number is based on a die roll, so there is some variance.
You get more Runes on Hard, and even more on Elite.
Runes are Bound to Account. You could run the raids on your alts and pass the tokens back to one of your own characters.
Runes cannot be transferred in the Chest.


The questgiver NPC for the raid you've been running will have a dialogue option that opens a barter window where you can trade in your Runes. The exact drop numbers, trade-in lists, and costs of items will vary from raid to raid. In the case of Hound of Xoriat and Tempest's Spine, the barter window contains all of the named loot* that can drop in those raids, plus an option to trade runes for Tier 1 and 2 Greensteel Ingredients.

Beyond this system, named loot will still drop as usual in the new Legendary Raids. That should cover the basics, feel free to ask questions here and I'll answer when I can.

EDIT: Worth noting, much like the 20th list from DoJ, the barter shop only provides non-Mythic versions of the loot. Mythic versions are still available in the end chests.

The exact number will vary by raid and difficulty. In the case of Hound and Tempest's Spine, our current (and very very subject to change) numbers look like this:

Named items cost 1250 Runes
Normal drops 25-75 Runes
Hard drops 50-150 Runes
Elite drops 100-200 Runes


This means (assuming you only run one difficulty) getting one item from the barter shop looks like:
Normal: Average of 25 runs (17-50 runs)
Hard: Average of 13 runs (8-25 runs)
Elite: Average of 8 runs (7-13 runs)


It is a bit higher than 20 on average for Normal runs. For the Raids in this pack, we are OK with that, especially given that these rewards persist through reincarnation and can be passed from alts.

Oh hell, the 2015 are just yes monkeys... something like that would never have gotten through the 2014 one.

I'd really like to know what they earned for sucking that much...

Yes I'm more critical than usual... because we killed that one last year... next we will see the Listen and the XP Bank stuff rearing their ugly head.

So they changed it to 40 runs for players who run Normal, but convoluted the process so much they hoped we wouldn't notice?

Also, if you want H/E to reward more, then the solution could be to... reward more! So maybe 20 N runs gets you an item, 20 H runs gets you an item and X shinies, 20 E runs get you item, shinies and a tome. For example.

They almost always conflate "we've improved X" with "and so Y must be grindier". That's bullshit.