Diablo 4: Vessel of Hatred Expansion Guide
If you're returning to Sanctuary, prepare to embark on an exciting adventure through Vessel of Hatred, the latest paid expansion for Diablo 4. This guide will introduce you to the new region, class, progression updates, and endgame challenges, helping you make the most of the fresh content. Let's dive in!
What's New in Vessel of Hatred?
Vessel of Hatred brings new gameplay elements, including a jungle-themed region, a brand-new class, and unique progression systems. With a thrilling campaign extension, new gear, and mechanics to explore, this expansion revitalizes the Diablo 4 experience.
New Region: Nahantu
In Vessel of Hatred, you'll journey into Nahantu, a vibrant jungle filled with danger and beauty. This region introduces iconic locations from the Diablo universe, like the Kurast Bazaar and Travincal, giving longtime fans plenty of nostalgia. The Kurast Bazaar, Nahantu's bustling hub, is home to vendors, a stash, and a training area, serving as your central outpost.
Story and Campaign Progression
Picking up after Diablo 4's main storyline, the campaign follows Neyrelle as she attempts to destroy Mephisto using the Soulstone. The expansion provides a recap of the base campaign, so you can jump right in. After completing the expansion story, you can skip it for future characters, making progression quicker on subsequent playthroughs.
New Class: The Spiritborn
The Spiritborn brings martial arts and magic into Diablo 4. This class has unique skills and Paragon boards tailored to unleash powerful combos, making it a versatile choice in both solo and team settings. Try different Spiritborn builds to discover the best abilities for your play style.
New Skills and Passives
Each class gains a new skill, five new passives, and a new Paragon node in Vessel of Hatred. Here's a quick overview:
Barbarian: Offense-focused skills like Mighty Throw and Belligerence boost damage and resilience.
Druid: Stone Burst and new passives enhance nature-based abilities.
Necromancer: Soulrift and new summon-boosting skills reinforce undead minions.
Rogue: Dance of Knives focuses on agility and evasive maneuvers.
Sorcerer: New elemental summons and skills enhance synergy between magic types.
Progression and Paragon System Overhaul
Level up to 60 and access 300 Paragon levels with Vessel of Hatred's progression overhaul. With a maximum of five Paragon Boards, your character's power gains new depth, making board selection key to your build's effectiveness.
New World Difficulties
The difficulty system has been restructured to resemble Diablo 3's tiered system, with levels ranging from Normal to Torment Tiers I-IV. Each Torment level adds unique penalties, like reduced armor, making each tier a fresh challenge that rewards your resilience with higher-tier loot.
Nightmare Dungeons and The Pit
In Nightmare Dungeons, you'll find Masterworking materials, while The Pit allows you to unlock and scale Torment tiers. Clear each level of The Pit to access matching Torment difficulties, gaining powerful upgrades. New Glyph leveling adds layers to character development, evolving into Legendary Glyphs with specific affixes at levels 15 and 47.
Runes and Runewords
Runes are here! Combining a Rune of Ritual and a Rune of Invocation creates Runewords, unlocking unique effects and skills borrowed from other classes. Experiment with Runewords to access abilities like teleporting or casting warcries, giving you greater flexibility in combat.
Mercenaries
Meet four unique mercenaries to aid in your quest:
Rather, the Shieldbearer: A tank that absorbs damage for your team.
Varyana, the Berserker Crone: A fierce melee fighter who strengthens with each kill.
Subo, the Drunken Archer: A ranged marksman equipped with traps and high accuracy.
Aldkin, the Cursed Child: A shapeshifter with magical attacks and powerful debuffs.
These allies bring synergy and support to your solo adventures, adding specialized skills to handle tough enemies.
Dark Citadel - Co-op Endgame Dungeon
For a high-level co-op experience, dive into the Dark Citadel, Diablo 4's answer to raid-style dungeons. This sprawling, multi-wing dungeon requires teamwork to clear, presenting intense battles, puzzles, and high-level loot that rewards strategic coordination.
Kurast Undercity - Timed Dungeon
The Kurast Undercity is a timed dungeon accessible from Nahantu for players level 20 and above. Race against the clock to clear floors and eliminate enemies before time runs out. The faster you clear it, the better your rewards.
Party Finder
The new Party Finder streamlines group play, letting you join others on similar quests or difficult challenges. If you're tackling endgame content, Party Finder will help you connect with allies to take on higher-level threats.
Tips for Returning Players
Experiment with Spiritborn: Dive into the new class and try its martial-arts-inspired abilities.
Optimize Paragon Boards: Maximize your build with careful Paragon Board selection, as each choice can greatly impact your power.
Explore The Pit and Torment Tiers: Clearing Pit tiers prepares you for a high-difficulty endgame.
Upgrade with Runes: Test out different Runeword combinations for unique advantages.
Utilize Mercenaries: Their specialized skills offer valuable support, especially in challenging areas.
Prepare for Nahantu!
With this guide, you're set to explore everything Vessel of Hatred has to offer. Prepare for the jungle's toughest challenges by upgrading your gear, gathering Diablo 4 gold and Diablo 4 items, and building a Spiritborn that can take on anything Nahantu throws at you. Unleash your character's full potential and embrace the thrilling new adventures in Diablo 4!