Well looks like either Patch 4 did change something, or I just had a bad test in Patch 3 because I swore I tested this, but you actually don't need to die anymore (ever?). Simply loading a save while already in the game world fixes it, but loading fresh from the landing screen they are missing. I captured this in a video here (video has minor spoilers with an Emmrich follower quest and objective that I forgot to mask): Permanent Increase Problem
In the video, I click Continue to load the latest save, which in this case ended up being an auto save. Showed off both my attack stats and health/defense. Other than increases from runes, traits, and gear -- all are base stats. I then load the save right below it called Area Start, showing that MOST of my permanent increases from valuables have returned, including higher attack, higher heath, higher defense, and higher resistances.
I actually bought FIVE +1% resistance valuables, but for some reason getting the last one to show up is tricky, so restoring my valuable buffs using this method only restores SOME of the valuables previously purchased, though on occasion I have been able to get all of them to show up by loading multiple times, but I haven't narrowed down the exact steps required. Either way, I then load the same initial save that Continue would have loaded, showing that the second time around, the increases are still there.
What's unique about the initial load and why does loading an additional time only restore SOME of the valuables previously purchased? Not sure, but the last +1% resistance I bought much later in the save file while my other valuable increases were in the bugged state of not displaying properly, so maybe that has something to do with it.
