Diablo 4 won’t be available until June 6th (specifically, June 5th, 4 PM PST) for several players across Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5 and PC. However, for those who purchased the Deluxe or Ultimate Edition, Blizzard’s action RPG looter is available now in its entirety. What should you remember when exploring the world and ridding it of the pervading darkness? Let’s look at 10 tips and tricks here, which will also be useful when the Standard Edition is available.
Go Rogue, Sorcerer or Necromancer
There are several great builds in the game, and you can have fun in just about any class. That’s not what you’re here for, though. You want to know which is the best. For early leveling, it’s recommended to go with Rogue, Necromancer and Sorcerer for damage, survivability and overall speed.
While the Druid and Barbarian have some end-game options with Pulverize and Whirlwind, it’s the Rogue and Necromancer who have more. Don’t worry, though – even if you’re going for the second-best options, there are several other options, whether it’s the Arc Lash Sorcerer, Rend Barbarian or Tornado Druid.
Don’t Upgrade Gear Immediately
After reaching Kyovashad, the first major city, you’ll open up a few facilities, including the option to upgrade gear at the Blacksmith. Tempting as it may be, don’t do it. Gear upgrades cause precious materials and Gold, and while the temporary power boost may seem worth it, you’ll be swapping out gear and weapons a lot in the early to mid-game. If you’re running into any major issues with survivability, maybe upgrade each piece once, but try to hold off for as long as possible. You’ll need those precious resources for later.
Target Specific Aspects
Aspects are extremely powerful unique passive skills that can be added to different gear and weapons via Imprinting. You must visit the Occultist (who becomes available at level 25) to do so, and can only imprint Rare and Legendary items (with the latter’s present skill destroyed in the process). While you can also extract Aspects from Legendary items, some can be obtained from Dungeons.
However, with over 100 Dungeons in the game and almost all Aspects being specific to classes, how do you know which ones to target? Aside from the class-specific quests, check the Codex of Power and select to show only your class’s Aspects – it will display their dungeon and the corresponding region. You can also pin it, and the game will track it like a regular quest for easy navigation.
Campfire XP Bonus
Liberate Strongholds whenever possible. Not only do they provide a good chunk of XP while leveling and creating new waypoints, but have Campfires. Check near their gates after they’ve been completed and when there isn’t an active invasion. If you see a Campfire, interact with it, and you’ll get a stacking buff to XP, granting one percent per stack and capping at around 15 stacks.
It lasts several minutes, so if you get the buff, take your mount and venture to a nearby Nightmare Dungeon, it can provide significant XP gains. It’s also not bad when completing events and Dungeons in Act 1, especially when you’re still gearing up.
Ignore Fields of Hatred (in Hardcore)
Diablo 4’s PvP is more integrated into the open world than its predecessor, manifesting as the Fields of Hatred as you explore. It’s a decent side activity for earning unique cosmetics and some loot, but hardcore players, beware. Dying in the Fields of Hatred will result in permanent death, just like anywhere else in the game. Be careful you don’t accidentally wander in and find yourself at the mercy of other players.
Upgrade Potions Immediately
Around level 10, when you’re still in the first Act, you’ll see an option to upgrade your potions. If you were collecting Gallowvine and Biteberry earlier, you can use them (and some Gold) at Veroka, the Alchemist, in Kyovashad to improve your potions. At the very least, you’ll want to get Minor Healing Potion, which costs 400 Gold, five Biteberry and 15 Gallowvine. Monsters will only start to hit harder as you progress, and being able to recover more health in an instant will be a lifesaver.
Unlock Occultist Early
While the Occultist becomes available as you hit level 25, she also unlocks when getting your first Codex of Power Aspect from a dungeon. It may not seem all that useful on your first playthrough. However, doing this on alternate characters and gaining a significant power boost by imprinting Rare items and upgrading them Legendaries, especially if you want to switch off your main and try another class, is great.
Get a Mount
A mount can make travelling around the world much easier, but it can take some time to unlock. Upon reaching Kyovashad, you’ll receive the quest, Donan’s Favor. As you progress with it, you’ll need to eventually reach Act 4 and get another quest, A Master’s Touch. Talk to Donan again in Kyovashad, and you’ll get a mount. Two other mounts – the Grey Steed and Mottled Steed – can also be purchased, but they cost 20,000 Gold each. Since you can loot while on horseback and even avoid enemies on the world map (just don’t get close), it’s vital for getting around.
Murmuring Obols
Murmuring Obols are important for obtaining gear from the Purveyor of Curiosities, but how do you get the Obols? Complete World Events encountered randomly as you explore the different regions (your map will indicate when one is nearby). The rarity of the item sold will vary, so ensure you complete a few events and then return to the Purveyor with several Obols for a better chance at rewards. You can purchase Whispering Keys for 20 Obols and use them to open Silent Chests on the map, though you have even less control over the loot dropped.
Claim Renown Rewards
While rushing through may seem like the best way to play Diablo 4, stay a while, listen and do some side activities like completing side dungeons and side quests, liberating Strongholds, activating Altars, discovering waypoints and discovering new areas. Not only do they grant XP and other bonuses, but also contribute to Renown.
Renown is tracked differently for each region and starts with three stages (the last two available after reaching World Tier 3). Earning Renown for the first stage grants XP, Gold and a free Skill Point. Stage 2 offers more Gold and XP and a Potion Charge, while Stage 3 provides even more Gold and XP and another Skill Point. Subsequent stages will increase your capacity of Max Obols and grant Paragon Points. Considering these are per Zone, that’s a hefty amount of benefits when taken together, and they’re available for all your characters.
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