If you're looking for a great free Diablo 3 Leveling Guide you've come to the right place! With all Diablo games leveling is extremely straight forward. There is a main quest you will follow pretty much to the letter and that is really all that's required of you to level as quickly as possible. Now of course this doesn't stop people from looking for leveling guides and even in some cases buying one. I am however, with the creation of my Diablo 3 Leveling Guide, hopefully preventing you from spending money on any of these commonly fake and misleading leveling guides.
Let me start off by saying that there is absolutely no reason you should ever invest in a leveling guide for Diablo 3. Even if the person fluffed up each quest in Diablo 3 there isn't even enough information you can have in a guide that would warrant paying money for. If you'd like to pay money for a Diablo 3 Leveling Guide then click the Donate button at the top of the page and donate to me for my leveling guide! Now since Diablo 3 is so straight forward and you reading a guide explaining each quest would actually cause you to waste time and level slower; I am going to mostly give you tips and recommendations on what to do and when to level faster.
Leveling fast in Diablo 3 is all about killing a lot of monsters and building up a lot of combos. You get combos in Diablo 3 for many different things such as Massacre combos for killing a large amount of mobs in succession; Mighty Blow combos for killing a large amount of mobs with a single blow (channeled abilities work here); Destruction Bonus' for destroying a large amount of crates or some terrain type of items and also using terrain elements to kill a group of mobs, such as dropping a chandelier onto a pack of zombies feasting on a corpse.
Completing these combos will give an increase in XP which is rather minor but does add up if you keep racking up the combos. Probably the biggest thing in the entire game to help you level faster though is by collecting "Adventuring" items. These items increase the amount of XP that each mob gives to you. Increasing your total amount of XP per mob will give you a significant long term boost in your total experience. A full set of Adventuring gear could actually double the amount of experience you earn per mob that you kill!
The Adventuring items are only worth going crazy on until about level 15 - 20. Once you reach Act 3 you will want to focus on improving your character rather than leveling faster. So, for the first two acts you will want to make sure you have adventuring gear in every slot and you clear every cave and kill every monster. If you do this you will go into act 3 at level 25 - 27. Those are the few obvious things that come to mind but there are many more little things that you can do or find that will increase your speed of leveling.
And now, here is my Diablo 3 Leveling Guide.
Before I go into any specifics here let me start of by saying what you will need to make this guide work very well. First you're going to need a friend that you can join so that you can skip over some of the more annoying quests in the game and get right to grinding. If you don't have a friend you can join you can always try asking in general if anyone will let you join them to skip over things but chances are you're going to be talking to some really annoying kids in general so I personally wouldn't bother.
Another thing you are going to need is patience and the ability to farm the same thing over and over again. Blizzard has been nerfing every single good leveling method as they come up, any quest that is worth repeating gets nerfed less than a week later. This guide isn't going to cheat and use these methods because I personally don't like doing things like that and also I want to make a leveling guide that will forever be effective. So, if you have both of these things you should be A-ok for getting started.
Too lazy to read everything I just typed above? Fear not my illiterate friend! Here is a commentated video just for you!
Levels 1 - 10 (2 - 2.5 Hours)
This part is extremely easy. Really all you are going to be doing is all of Act 1. It may seem pretty lame but there really isn't much you can do to cheat your way past this. You could always have a friend run you through the Heart of Sin Act 3 questline as you stay back and leech XP but not everyone is going to have a friend that will bend over backwards for them. And even if you do, let's face it, it's rude to force someone to do something so boring as that. So let's avoid it.
By now you should probably know Act 1. Our main goal is to get through it as quickly as possible until we reach the Halls of Agony, the final dungeon of Act 1. The Halls of Agony is part of The Imprisoned Angel questline. After you clear this questline and unlock Act 2 you will want to go back and grind this location until you reach level 20 - 23. I will get more into this on the next part of the guide.
To speed up the first 15 levels you will want to stack Adventuring Gear in almost every slot. Just search for it on the Auction House and don't pay more than 1500 per piece. Also be sure to look for some nice core stats for your class (Aka whatever your main stat is and Vitality). Also once you get closer to level 15 search the Auction House for Socketed Gems/Amulet as well as any gear with sockets. You are able to put Flawless Square Gems in level 10 gear which will make you nearly invincible at these lower levels.
Keeping all of these things in mind you will be level 10 in no time.
Levels 10 - 20 (2 -2.5hrs)
The Imprisoned Angel
This is the next range of levels we're going to be plowing through. What we are going to be doing for this level range is focusing on running through the Halls of Agony and killing the Warden/Butcher over and over again. Each run should take 30 minutes and net you a full level. Depending on your class and weapon/how fast you kill the runs might be quicker. After you kill The Butcher before to continue into the room where the cultists are holding Tyreal. Talking to Tyreal will complete another quest which will reward you with even more experience than the quest involving killing The Butcher.
This is the easiest part of leveling up and you'll breeze through it in no time. After you reach level 20 you will be switching quests to The Heart of Sin quest which is a quest during Act 3. This is where having a friend that you can join comes in handy.
If you do not have a friend you can join you're going to be stuck leveling the old fashion way and you shouldn't worry about going back through old content and grinding it out. Focus on doing each quest of the game as you go. If you do have a friend you can join, continue reading.
Video Guide of these levels (you can use this instead if you don't feel like reading)
Levels 23 - 25 (30 minutes)
For this level range you are going to be doing the Heart of Sin questline in Arreat Crater. It may be a bit hard for you to do but with good gear (all rares, socketed with Flawless Square Gems) you should be able to handle it fairly well. If not continue grinding Act 2 until you reach level 25 at which point you will unlock Nightmare.
Level 25
For this level you need to kill Diablo. Have a friend do it for you or pay someone in general to do it. Unlocking Nightmare will speed up your leveling process quite a bit.
Before moving into Nightmare you will want to upgrade every single piece of gear that you have. Also at this time you can probably afford to buy a Legendary weapon which will greatly improve your character's abilities. If you are unable to afford gear for yourself at this level continue to grind Arreat Crater until you are level 30. You'll have some gold which you should invest into a better weapon.
NOTE: When running "Heart of Sin" you will want to select the first part of the quest, logically the "Begin Quest" option. This will allow you to port to Arreat Crater level 1. Here is where you will find the easiest mobs that offer you the most experience with each and every kill. If you don't mind constantly reseting the game after you clear Arreat Crater level 1 reset the game and run it again. Never go further as the XP/hr isn't as good past this level of the dungeon (until you reach the Arreat Crater again later).
Levels 25 - 30 (1h 30min)
When you first unlock Nightmare you will want to quest up to the "Reign of the Black King" quest. Doing all of the quests leading up to this one will get you to 27 or 28 with about an hours worth of work.
After you kill the Skeleton King you will want to keep reseting your quest and running through the Cathedral up to the Skeleton King. These are called Nightmare Cathedral runs. Depending on what your gear looks like you should be able to do a Cathedral run in about 20 - 30 minutes. Each run will net you a pretty good amount of experience. If you want to speed up the process have a friend kill everything for you. Also after you kill the Skeleton King be sure to go into the Desolation Chamber and talk to Tyreal. That will complete another quest and award you with more experience.
Levels 30 - 35 (2hrs)
Another easy set of levels here. What you're going to be doing is farming Halls of Agony (The Imprisoned Angel quest) until you reach level 35. You should remember how to do this from last time so there isn't much new information that needs to be said here. If you have a friend that is willing to powerlevel you and you have the Nightmarish Staff of Herding do Pony Runs instead. They net you 1 full level of experience every 10 minutes.
Levels 35 - 45 (3hr 25/30min)
For this level range you will want to farm The Black Soulstone quest during Act 2. It may be a bit difficult for you but farming this quest will net you the best experience you can possibly get. If you're struggling with anything and have a lot of gold to spend check the Auction House for a legendary weapon for your character. This will make a night and day difference when it comes to leveling up through D3. And a mediocre legendary shouldn't cost you more than 75k.
Once again, if you have a friend that is willing to powerlevel you and you have the Staff of Herding I strongly recommend you do Nightmare Pony Runs. This will net you better experience than anything else. If you have a friend willing you powerlevel you but no Staff of Herding then you should run Act 3 Arreat Crater (Heart of Sin questline) instead.
Levels 45 - 50 (4hrs)
For this level range you will want to focus on the Heart of Sin questline during Act 3. It rewards you with a lot of experience and is very easy to do. If you are struggling here you can do the Act 3 Siege of Bastion's Keep questline instead. Once again, if you have a friend willing and the Staff of Herding Pony Runs will offer you the best experience.
NOTE: When running "Heart of Sin" you will want to select the first part of the quest, logically the "Begin Quest" option. This will allow you to port to Arreat Crater level 1. Here is where you will find the easiest mobs that offer you the most experience with each and every kill. If you don't mind constantly reseting the game after you clear Arreat Crater level 1 reset the game and run it again. Never go further as the XP/hr isn't as good past this level of the dungeon (until you reach the Arreat Crater again later).
Levels 50 - 55 (3hrs)
Get a Diablo Nightmare kill and focus on running Halls of Agony. The Elite/Champ packs will be hard at level 50 but nothing you can't handle if you upgrade all of your gear when you unlock Hell. Start stacking resistances, with 200 All Resist and a decent amount of HP you'll be fine.
If you have a friend and a Hellish Staff of Herding a Pony Run will net you 3/4 of a level worth of experience for 10 minutes of work. I powerleveled a friend from 50 to 60 in just two hours by doing non-stop pony runs. Keep this in mind!
Levels 55 - 60 (4.5hrs)
Depending on how good your gear is and what you can handle you will want to do either the Zoltun Kulle Blacksoulstone Questline or Arreat Crater Heart of Sin questline. Both of these will reward you with great experience for these levels. I would mention Pony Runs again but I think you get the point with how good they are. Another good alternative if you get bored of these locations is the Siegebreaker quest during Act 3. Select the "Begin Quest" part and run it, kill the Siegebreaker then do the first floor of the Heart of Sin quest and then reset the game. That's the best path using that quest.
NOTE: When running "Heart of Sin" you will want to select the first part of the quest, logically the "Begin Quest" option. This will allow you to port to Arreat Crater level 1. Here is where you will find the easiest mobs that offer you the most experience with each and every kill. If you don't mind constantly reseting the game after you clear Arreat Crater level 1 reset the game and run it again. Never go further as the XP/hr isn't as good past this level of the dungeon (until you reach the Arreat Crater again later).
Diablo 3 Leveling Tips
- Perform as many Combos as possible. In Diablo 3 you get bonus experience for killing a large amount of mobs in succession, killing a large amount of mobs with a single ability (can be a channeled one) and also using terrain to kill mobs (there are certain things you can click to say drop a Chandelier onto a pack of mobs)
- Use a lot of "Adventuring" items. This is a type of item that grants you additional experience for each kill.
- When using a Teleporter if you're unsure of what location is closest to your current quest just look for a chalice next to the name of the Waypoint.
- If you are low on health grab the red globes that drop from the mobs you kill, they will restore some of your health!
- Picking up "Lore" elements usually rewards you with XP (I.E Back of the Slaughtered Calf Inn grab Leah's Journal for 120 xp)
- When you first start out stock up on "Adventurer's Gear" as it will boost your total XP earned with each fight
Keeping all of these things in mind you will be level 10 in no time.
Levels 10 - 20 (2 -2.5hrs)
The Imprisoned Angel
This is the next range of levels we're going to be plowing through. What we are going to be doing for this level range is focusing on running through the Halls of Agony and killing the Warden/Butcher over and over again. Each run should take 30 minutes and net you a full level. Depending on your class and weapon/how fast you kill the runs might be quicker. After you kill The Butcher before to continue into the room where the cultists are holding Tyreal. Talking to Tyreal will complete another quest which will reward you with even more experience than the quest involving killing The Butcher.
This is the easiest part of leveling up and you'll breeze through it in no time. After you reach level 20 you will be switching quests to The Heart of Sin quest which is a quest during Act 3. This is where having a friend that you can join comes in handy.
If you do not have a friend you can join you're going to be stuck leveling the old fashion way and you shouldn't worry about going back through old content and grinding it out. Focus on doing each quest of the game as you go. If you do have a friend you can join, continue reading.
Video Guide of these levels (you can use this instead if you don't feel like reading)
Levels 23 - 25 (30 minutes)
For this level range you are going to be doing the Heart of Sin questline in Arreat Crater. It may be a bit hard for you to do but with good gear (all rares, socketed with Flawless Square Gems) you should be able to handle it fairly well. If not continue grinding Act 2 until you reach level 25 at which point you will unlock Nightmare.
Level 25
For this level you need to kill Diablo. Have a friend do it for you or pay someone in general to do it. Unlocking Nightmare will speed up your leveling process quite a bit.
Before moving into Nightmare you will want to upgrade every single piece of gear that you have. Also at this time you can probably afford to buy a Legendary weapon which will greatly improve your character's abilities. If you are unable to afford gear for yourself at this level continue to grind Arreat Crater until you are level 30. You'll have some gold which you should invest into a better weapon.
NOTE: When running "Heart of Sin" you will want to select the first part of the quest, logically the "Begin Quest" option. This will allow you to port to Arreat Crater level 1. Here is where you will find the easiest mobs that offer you the most experience with each and every kill. If you don't mind constantly reseting the game after you clear Arreat Crater level 1 reset the game and run it again. Never go further as the XP/hr isn't as good past this level of the dungeon (until you reach the Arreat Crater again later).
Levels 25 - 30 (1h 30min)
When you first unlock Nightmare you will want to quest up to the "Reign of the Black King" quest. Doing all of the quests leading up to this one will get you to 27 or 28 with about an hours worth of work.
After you kill the Skeleton King you will want to keep reseting your quest and running through the Cathedral up to the Skeleton King. These are called Nightmare Cathedral runs. Depending on what your gear looks like you should be able to do a Cathedral run in about 20 - 30 minutes. Each run will net you a pretty good amount of experience. If you want to speed up the process have a friend kill everything for you. Also after you kill the Skeleton King be sure to go into the Desolation Chamber and talk to Tyreal. That will complete another quest and award you with more experience.
Levels 30 - 35 (2hrs)
Another easy set of levels here. What you're going to be doing is farming Halls of Agony (The Imprisoned Angel quest) until you reach level 35. You should remember how to do this from last time so there isn't much new information that needs to be said here. If you have a friend that is willing to powerlevel you and you have the Nightmarish Staff of Herding do Pony Runs instead. They net you 1 full level of experience every 10 minutes.
Levels 35 - 45 (3hr 25/30min)
For this level range you will want to farm The Black Soulstone quest during Act 2. It may be a bit difficult for you but farming this quest will net you the best experience you can possibly get. If you're struggling with anything and have a lot of gold to spend check the Auction House for a legendary weapon for your character. This will make a night and day difference when it comes to leveling up through D3. And a mediocre legendary shouldn't cost you more than 75k.
Once again, if you have a friend that is willing to powerlevel you and you have the Staff of Herding I strongly recommend you do Nightmare Pony Runs. This will net you better experience than anything else. If you have a friend willing you powerlevel you but no Staff of Herding then you should run Act 3 Arreat Crater (Heart of Sin questline) instead.
Levels 45 - 50 (4hrs)
For this level range you will want to focus on the Heart of Sin questline during Act 3. It rewards you with a lot of experience and is very easy to do. If you are struggling here you can do the Act 3 Siege of Bastion's Keep questline instead. Once again, if you have a friend willing and the Staff of Herding Pony Runs will offer you the best experience.
NOTE: When running "Heart of Sin" you will want to select the first part of the quest, logically the "Begin Quest" option. This will allow you to port to Arreat Crater level 1. Here is where you will find the easiest mobs that offer you the most experience with each and every kill. If you don't mind constantly reseting the game after you clear Arreat Crater level 1 reset the game and run it again. Never go further as the XP/hr isn't as good past this level of the dungeon (until you reach the Arreat Crater again later).
Levels 50 - 55 (3hrs)
Get a Diablo Nightmare kill and focus on running Halls of Agony. The Elite/Champ packs will be hard at level 50 but nothing you can't handle if you upgrade all of your gear when you unlock Hell. Start stacking resistances, with 200 All Resist and a decent amount of HP you'll be fine.
If you have a friend and a Hellish Staff of Herding a Pony Run will net you 3/4 of a level worth of experience for 10 minutes of work. I powerleveled a friend from 50 to 60 in just two hours by doing non-stop pony runs. Keep this in mind!
Levels 55 - 60 (4.5hrs)
Depending on how good your gear is and what you can handle you will want to do either the Zoltun Kulle Blacksoulstone Questline or Arreat Crater Heart of Sin questline. Both of these will reward you with great experience for these levels. I would mention Pony Runs again but I think you get the point with how good they are. Another good alternative if you get bored of these locations is the Siegebreaker quest during Act 3. Select the "Begin Quest" part and run it, kill the Siegebreaker then do the first floor of the Heart of Sin quest and then reset the game. That's the best path using that quest.
NOTE: When running "Heart of Sin" you will want to select the first part of the quest, logically the "Begin Quest" option. This will allow you to port to Arreat Crater level 1. Here is where you will find the easiest mobs that offer you the most experience with each and every kill. If you don't mind constantly reseting the game after you clear Arreat Crater level 1 reset the game and run it again. Never go further as the XP/hr isn't as good past this level of the dungeon (until you reach the Arreat Crater again later).
Diablo 3 Leveling Tips
- Perform as many Combos as possible. In Diablo 3 you get bonus experience for killing a large amount of mobs in succession, killing a large amount of mobs with a single ability (can be a channeled one) and also using terrain to kill mobs (there are certain things you can click to say drop a Chandelier onto a pack of mobs)
- Use a lot of "Adventuring" items. This is a type of item that grants you additional experience for each kill.
- When using a Teleporter if you're unsure of what location is closest to your current quest just look for a chalice next to the name of the Waypoint.
- If you are low on health grab the red globes that drop from the mobs you kill, they will restore some of your health!
- Picking up "Lore" elements usually rewards you with XP (I.E Back of the Slaughtered Calf Inn grab Leah's Journal for 120 xp)
- When you first start out stock up on "Adventurer's Gear" as it will boost your total XP earned with each fight
