Diablo 4 Walkthrough: Prologue and Act 1, the Fractured Peaks

This is part 1 of our full Diablo 4 walkthrough. It covers picking a class, the Prologue: Wandering and all of Act 1: A Cold and Iron Faith in the snowy Fractured Peaks. You start in a cave in the mountains and end with Neyrelle in the Horadric Vault, after the fight with Lilith's Lament.

Diablo 4 walkthrough: Next part →

The whole walkthrough

Before you start: can you skip the campaign?

Yes, but only after you finish it once. When one character has beaten the main story, your other characters get a Skip Campaign option and go straight to the open world and endgame. Your first character has to play the story. Blizzard has changed the exact rules a few times over the years, so check the option at character creation if you are not sure.

If this is your first run, play it. The story is good, the bosses teach you the game, and the campaign gives you renown, skill points and a full map of the world.

Picking a class

The base game has five classes: Barbarian, Druid, Necromancer, Rogue and Sorcerer. The Vessel of Hatred expansion adds the Spiritborn, and the later Lord of Hatred expansion adds the Paladin and Warlock. You can only play the expansion classes if you own that expansion.

• Easiest for new players: Necromancer (minions take hits for you) or Rogue (fast, safe at range).
• Want to stand in the middle and smash things: Barbarian.
• Like big spells and keeping your distance: Sorcerer.
• Like shapeshifting and nature magic: Druid.

Balance changes every season, so do not stress about the "best" class. Every class can finish the campaign. Pick the one that looks fun.

You can also change the difficulty at any time without losing progress. If a boss is too hard, drop it down. If it feels too easy, raise it for better loot.

We may earn a commission from links on this page.

Don't have it yet? Diablo IV is often on sale.

Prologue: Wandering

The prologue has eight quests. It is linear and short.

1. Dusk on the Mountain: after the opening cinematic you wake in a cave. Walk to the village of Nevesk, follow the voices, and speak with Oswen and then Vani.
2. Darkness Within: Vani sends you into the Icehowl Ruins, the game's first dungeon. Clear your way down and kill X'Fal, the Scarred Baron.
3. A Hero's Return and A Hero's Reward: go back to Nevesk with proof of the kill. The villagers are not as grateful as they seem.
4. Prayers for Salvation: things go badly in Nevesk. Follow the quest markers, survive the fights and get out.
5. In Search of Answers: head for the city of Kyovashad, the first big hub.
6. Rite of Passage: to pass the city gate you do a cleansing ritual. Take a Holy Cedar Tablet from the shrine, pick a sin to write on it (any choice is fine, it is only flavour) and throw it into the brazier.
7. Missing Pieces: meet Lorath inside the city. Buy his polearm back from a merchant for a small amount of gold, pick up the Strange Amulet and return both to him.

Boss: X'Fal, the Scarred Baron

X'Fal is a big demon and your first real test. He swings in wide arcs, does a charge, and slams the ground. Every big attack has a warning on the floor. Walk out of the red area, then hit him while he recovers. Use your dodge for the charge. Pick up health potions from enemies before the fight. This boss is easy if you do not stand in front of him for too long.

Act 1: A Cold and Iron Faith

After the prologue, Acts 1, 2 and 3 open up and you can play them in any order. Most players go Act 1, 2, 3, which is the order we use. Act 1 has 19 quests and stays in the Fractured Peaks the whole time.

Kyovashad and Yelesna

1. Ill Tidings: starts in Kyovashad and points you toward the town of Yelesna.
2. Tarnished Luster and The Knight and the Magpie: travel to Yelesna. Here you team up with Neyrelle, a young scholar who is searching for her mother.
3. Undertaking, Below and In Her Wake: search the town and the crypts under it. Follow the trail of the cult that is working for Lilith.
4. Storming the Gates: fight your way into the area the cult holds.
5. The Cost of Knowledge: you and Neyrelle face Vhenard. This boss is required.

Boss: Vhenard

Vhenard is an unusual fight. She sits behind a blood shield, and the main way to wear her down is to kill the Hell Spawns she summons. Each wave you kill drains her life.

• Focus the summoned enemies, not Vhenard.
• Do not walk through the blood tethers that link her to her minions. They hurt you and make you Vulnerable (you take more damage).
• Watch for spinning beams from her shield. Step around them.
• Each phase brings more enemies. Area damage skills are great here. Melee classes have a harder time, so use your movement skill a lot.

Kor Valar

1. Light's Guidance: go to the Cathedral of Light in Kyovashad to look for Reverend Mother Prava. Iosef tells you she has gone to Kor Valar.
2. Kor Valar, Pilgrimage, Light's Judgement and Light's Protection: travel to the fortress of Kor Valar, meet Prava and help the Knights Penitent. These quests are mostly story and fights against waves of enemies. Follow the yellow markers.

The Horadric Vault and the Necropolis

1. Wayward and Shroud of the Horadrim: catch up with Neyrelle, who has gone off on her own.
2. Fledgling Scholar: explore the Horadric Vault with Neyrelle. At the end you fight Tchort, Herald of Lilith.
3. Crossing Over and Descent: enter the Necropolis of the Firstborn, chase Lilith and defeat Lilith's Lament.
4. Light's Resolve: talk to Neyrelle in the Horadric Vault. This ends Act 1.

Boss: Tchort, Herald of Lilith

Tchort is a large demon that hits hard up close. Keep moving around him, dodge his charges and slams, and clear any adds quickly so you do not get surrounded. Ranged players should keep their distance and kite him in a circle.

Boss: Lilith's Lament

For many players this is the toughest fight of the act. The arena fills up with dangerous areas, so watch the floor more than the boss. Stay calm, dodge the marked attacks and hit back in the gaps. If you keep dying, lower the difficulty for this one fight, or level up a little on side quests and dungeons in the Fractured Peaks first.

Lots of loot means lots of downloads and patches. Running low on space? An NVMe SSD upgrade fixes that fast.

Tips for this part

• Use your Healing Potion. It refills when you pick up the red orbs enemies drop. Do not save it for later.
• Spend skill points as you get them. You can reset skills cheaply early on, so experiment.
• Grab the Altars of Lilith you see on the map. They give permanent account-wide stat bonuses.
• Do a few side quests in Kyovashad and Yelesna. They give renown and keep your level in line with the story.
• Salvage or sell junk at the blacksmith in Kyovashad so your bag is not full in the middle of a dungeon.

My take

I think Act 1 is the best opening Diablo has ever had. Nevesk sets the tone perfectly and the Vhenard fight is the first time the game asks you to think instead of just clicking. Lilith's Lament caught me off guard on my first run, I won't lie. Which class did you pick for your first run?

FAQ

How long is the Diablo 4 prologue and Act 1?

The prologue is short, roughly an hour. Act 1 takes a few hours more, depending on how many side quests and dungeons you do along the way.

Do I have to play Act 1 first?

No. After the prologue, Acts 1, 2 and 3 are all open and can be played in any order. Acts 4 to 6 only open after those three are done.

How do I skip the campaign in Diablo 4?

Finish the main story once on any character. After that, new characters get a Skip Campaign option and start in the open world.

How do I beat Vhenard?

Kill the Hell Spawns she summons. Each wave you kill drains her health. Stay out of her blood tethers and spinning beams, and use area damage skills.

Diablo 4 walkthrough: Next part →