One of the most interesting and significant mechanics added to Diablo 4 is the Tempering system. It’s very similar to enchanting, except you aren’t rerolling an exhausting list of affixes over and over, but rather adding desired affixes. You could increase the damage of an ability, increase its AOE, or go for something defensive like resistance, which will certainly come in handy during endgame content. In other words, Diablo 4’s Tempering system gives you the power to make fine adjustments to your build.
How to Temper Your Gear in Diablo 4
In order to temper your weapons, armor, and trinkets in Diablo 4, you’ll need three items:
- Crafting materials
- A rare or Legendary item
- A Tempering Manual
You’ll gather the necessary crafting materials whenever you break down unwanted gear at the Blacksmith. Baleful Fragments and Coiling Wards are the most important, and you’ll obtain them from salving Legendary gear. If you’ve got a stockpile of Legendaries you don’t plan on using, put them to good use.
Speaking of which, Tempering only works on rare and Legendary items, but not Uber uniques like Harlequin Crest (“Shako”) and Tempest Roar.
Of course, to temper your gear, you first need to obtain a Tempering Manual. The best way to find them is by participating in Helltides, Nightmare dungeons, defeating World and Uber bosses, and the Pit. I actually found my first one from a stinky Treasure Goblin, so keep your eyes peeled for them, too. When you do have a manual, use it, and it’ll be added to your collection.
With that said and done, visit a Blacksmith, then switch over to the Tempering tab and pick a piece of gear. You can choose an affix from one of six categories, which depend entirely on which Tempering Manuals you have unlocked. During the process, one of the listed affixes will be chosen and applied to your item, so there’s a level of randomness to it.
Additionally, rare, baseline, and Sacred Legendaries only have one affix slot; Ancestral Legendaries have two. However, you can’t choose a set of affixes from the same category.
Now, here’s the catch: you can only Temper an item a fixed number of times. For example, the Legendary gloves I have can only be Tempered three times, then that’s it. If I end up with an affix that I don’t want, I’ll have to find the item again and roll the dice.
There is a silver lining, though. The first time you Temper an item, it’s on the house. Furthermore, Tempering Manuals are never destroyed, so you can use them as many times as you want. In that way, they’re identical to Codex Powers!
