Diablo 4 Progression Checklist: Level 1 to Torment XII
If you are struggling to push into higher Torment tiers in Diablo 4, your gear might not be the problem. Sometimes, all it takes is a few more Glyph upgrades, a missing piece of equipment, or a Pit run you have been putting off.
This Diablo 4 progression checklist takes you from Level 1 all the way to Torment XII, covering the important steps during your journey. Find your current stage, check what you might have missed, and work your way toward the next difficulty. The Season Ranks can also help you figure out what to focus on next.
Levels 1 to 25
Check our Leveling Guide from Level 1 to 70 for more advice on how to level faster.
Eternal Realm: Play the Lord of Hatred Campaign once, ideally on an Eternal character, to unlock the campaign skip and Temis on your account.
Eternal Realm: Finish the Prologue so Expert and Penitent open up.
Seasonal Realm: Use Character Rebirth to bring an Eternal character into the Seasonal Realm at Level 1, but do not forget to empty its inventory.
Seasonal Realm: Skip the campaign if Lord of Hatred has been done once on the account.
Seasonal Realm: Run the season questline to unlock seasonal powers and the reputation board. In Season 15, you should pick Diablo as Prime Evil, as he will boost the experience you receive in Helltides.
Pick a leveling build to help you fight packs easily. Play on Hard difficulty if you manage to kill packs quickly. Switch the difficulty at the Statue in town.
Unlock the class mechanic around Level 15.
Pick two mercenaries to help you on the battlefields.
Pick up a War Plan in Temis and fill it with as many Helltides as you can each time. Reset the War Plan if it has no Helltide. Each completed plan will pay for one reset. In a group, reset and synchronize War Plans so everyone runs the same activities. Check the right nodes to activate in your Helltide Activity Tree in our guide.
Complete Whispers on your way, but do not cross the map for them. Turn in Grim Favors as soon as your bar is full.
Levels 25 to 60
Add Undercity to the War Plan rotation. Unlock the additional experience node in your Undercity Activity Tree, always reach attunement rank 4, and collect the experience orbs yourself, as your Pet will not. Undercity levels faster, but Helltides reward you with more gear and materials.
Clear the first two Capstone Dungeons around Levels 30 and 50 for Season Ranks progress.
At Level 30, unlock the second and final part of your class mechanic.
Get Movement Speed on your boots, and upgrade your weapon when you have a harder time killing the elite packs.
Move up a difficulty whenever elite packs die too quickly.
Pay attention to every Legendary aspect worth saving for the endgame build. Salvaging them will save them in the Codex of Power and allow you to use them on better items in the future.
Season 15: Socket a
Lesser Splinter of Lies or 
Splinter of Lies for bonus experience, but only on a difficulty you can handle easily.
Levels 60 to 70
Pick the endgame build you wish to follow and start collecting the important gear pieces you will need.
Level on Penitent if the build clears it comfortably.
Level 70
Clear Pit Tier 10 to open Torment I.
From this Level, you start gathering Paragon Levels. Spend the first Paragon points on your starting board.
Put the first Glyphs in and start leveling them in the Pit.
Switch to Torment I as soon as it opens, since that is where Ancestral items start dropping.
You should look to have full Legendary gear at this point. Imprint aspects on rare items that will interact with your build and make you stronger.
Torment I to IV
Push the Pit a few tiers at a time to open each new Torment difficulty. Torment II unlocks at Pit Tier 15, III at 20, and IV at 25.
Temper all your gear. An additional affix is not negligible.
Run War Plans for Uniques, Set Charms, and Ancestral gear.
Farm Lair Bosses for your build's key Uniques. Check where they drop and run multiple runs until you get the Unique (non-Ancestral Uniques are fine at this stage).
Torment V to VIII
Continue to push the Pit a few tiers at a time to open each new Torment difficulty. Torment V unlocks at Pit Tier 30, VI at 40, VII at 50, and VIII at 60. If you are stuck on a Pit Tier, a friend can boost you and unlock a new Torment tier for you.
Keep leveling Glyphs. The Pit is still the only way to do that, so you have to run it. Pick it up in your War Plans.
Farm items with Greater Affixes on the key affixes you need. Check out the Horadric Cube guide to learn how best to craft a perfect piece of gear.
Start farming Unique Charms once Torment VIII opens.
Torment VIII has the best chances for Ancestral Uniques, Mythic Uniques, and Unique Charms, so farm this difficulty level as long as needed to get better gear.
Have the recommended charm set from your build, and wear fully Ancestral gear (Legendaries and Uniques) with as many Greater Affixes as you can get at this stage.
Make sure your gear is fully tempered and masterworked.
Transfigure your Amulet with a
Kullean Tuning Prism to add a Utility affix (based on your build), or pick something that will interact well with your powers.
Torment IX to XII
Push toward Pit Tier 100 for Torment XII. Unlock Torment IX by clearing a Pit Tier 70, X at 80, XI at 90, and XII at Pit Tier 100.
Farm Paragon where the kills are fastest, not where the bonus is highest. Torment X already gives you the most amount of Gold. Only push higher if it does not slow your farming.
Start Transfiguring your good pieces of gear that will remain for a while.
Try the Pinnacle Capstones once Torment X is comfortable. Season 15 Hell Capstones also open up at Torment X with +30 Monster Powers.