Season 28 Compendium for Diablo 3 (2024)

Last updated on Feb 22, 2023 at 09:00by Deadset

Season 28 introduces a form of character progression called the Altar ofRites. Home to power thought to be extinct from Sanctuary, the Altar ofRites will bestow powers upon worthy Nephalem... after a sacrifice isoffered.

Patch 2.7.5 for Diablo 3 entered PTR testing phase on Tuesday, January 31stand lasted for seven days, showcasing all the new changes to Diablo 3. Thiscontent hub article will guide you through the most important changes in thepatch and will show you the best, strongest builds to take into the new Season28.

The ending date for Diablo 3's Season 27 is February19th 2023 at 5pm PDT (NA servers), 5pm CEST (EU servers), and 5pm KST (Asianservers).

Patch 2.7.5 will be applied to onNon-Seasonal servers on February 24th, and Season 28 will start on February24th 2023 at 5pm PDT (NA servers), 5pm CEST (EU servers), and 5pm KST(Asian servers).

The Public Test Realm usually runs for a period of two weeks (shortened tojust one for Season 28 specifically!), with periods of scheduled maintenanceand possible hotfixes, minor patches, and server outages. Should you decide toparticipate in the PTR, you can expect the following alterations to the normalstate of the game:

• There will be PTR-specific buffs that will assist with accelerated testingof changes. Legendary drop rate is increased, Experience gain is boosted, andBlood Shards (currency used for gambling) are doubled. Additionally, there is aPTR-only vendor, Djank Mi'em, who will exchange Blood Shards for class-specificbags full of Legendary items, greatly increasing the pace at which you acquireany and all items you may need for testing.
• There will be a test run of the new Season 28 theme, along with all of itsseason-specific items and gameplay alterations.

Season 28 introduces a new type of Season-specific character progressionsystem, called the Altar of Rites. Beyond the quick overview below, wealso have a massive Altar of Rites Effects and Mechanics article, where we goin-depth over the effects of this seasonal addition. If you are interested inthe particulars of these bonuses and how they can affect your build, delveright in!

The Rites of Sanctuary theme has the following traits:

• The Altar is accessible from level 1.
• To unlock a Seal or a Potion, you must gather the materials listed in theAltar of Rites menu and sacrifice them. Note that, in order to unlock a Seal,the Seal preceding it must first be unlocked. This does not apply to the "+30%Damage" Seal, the "Crowd Control Immunity" Seal, and the "Gain Passability"Seal, because of how they're positioned within the Altar (they have multiplepowers connected to them, and any one of them will suffice).
• Unlocking a power (both Seals and Legendary Potion Powers) is a permanent,non-reversible choice.
• While your choices are permanent, over time you will be able to unlock allof the Altar's powers and won't be locked off from any potential upgrades. Theywill simply cost more.
• Once unlocked, the Altar's powers are shared between all the characters youcreate in Season 28.

The list below contains the rewards from the individual tier of the Altar ofRites. To see where each node lies on the tree, refer to the screenshotabove.

• A: "Your Kill Streak timer duration and reward bonus aredoubled."
• B: "Pools of Reflection last for the entire Season and are notremoved by death."
• C: "Items have no level requirement."
• D: "+200 Damage."
• E: "+25% Missile Damage Reduction."
• F: "+25% Movement Speed (Uncapped)."
• G: "Increase damage against elites by 15%."
• H: "Picking up Health Globes grants a shield for 5% of yourmaximum health for 7 seconds. Max stacks 5."
• I: "+25% Melee Damage Reduction."
• J: "Increases your highest elemental skill damage bonus by10%."
• K: "Increase damage against elites by 20%."
• L: "+20% Damage."
• M: "Double the amount of Death's Breaths that drop."
• N: "Critical hits grant resource: Mana: 15, Hatred: 5, Wrath: 5,Arcane Power: 3, Fury: 3, Spirit: 5, Essence: 5".
• O: "Double the amount of Bounty Caches that drop from completingbounties."
• P: "Progress orbs from Nephalem and Greater Rifts areautomatically picked up within 60 yards."
• Q: "Reduces the damage taken from elites by 25%."
• R: "+30% Damage."
• S: "Gain immunity to crowd-controlling effects."
• T: "Gain passability."
• U: "Pets pick up Death's Breath."
• V: "Elite packs drop one additional progress orb."
• W: "Increase damage done to Bosses by 25%."
• X: "Pets pick up and salvage common, magic, and rareitems."
• Y: "Increase your chance to Dodge by 15%."
• Z: "Double the chance to find a legendary item purchased fromKadala."
• Potion AA: "When you drink your health potion, you manifest oneof three runic circles on the ground that grant increased damage, increasedcooldown reduction, or increased resource cost reduction."
• Potion AB: "When you drink your health potion, all enemieswithin 25 yards deal 25% less damage."
• Potion AC: "When you drink your health potion, gain a randomshrine or the Dimensional Power pylon effect."
• Effect AD: "When a primal item drops, a second random primalitem drops as well."

The list below contains the costs of upgrading each individual tier of theAltar of Rites.

• 1: "10 Reusable Partss"
• 2: "1 Flawless Diamond (or greater), 15 Arcane Dust, 20 Reusable Partss"
• 3: "1 Greater Rift Key, 10 Death's Breaths"
• 4: "Any Class-Specific Set Helm"
• 5: "20 Forgotten Souls, 10 Khanduran Rune, 10 Caldeum Nightshade, 10 Arreat War Tapestry, 10 Corrupted Angel Flesh, 10 Westmarch Holy Water"
• 6: "1 Leoric's Regret, 1 Vial of Putridness, 1 Idol of Terror, 1 Heart of Fright"
• 7: " Reaper's Wraps"
• 8: "30 Forgotten Souls"
• 9: "1,100 BloodShards"
• 10: "1 Flawless Royal Ruby, 20 Death's Breaths, Ring of Royal Grandeur"
• 11: "1 Flawless Royal Emerald, 30 Khanduran Rune,30 Caldeum Nightshade, 30 Arreat War Tapestry, 30 Corrupted Angel Flesh, 30 Westmarch Holy Water"
• 12: "20 Greater Rift Keys, 1 Ramaladni's Gift"
• 13: "1,300 BloodShards"
• 14: "Petrified Scream"
• 15: "Challenge Rift Cache"
• 16: "250 Forgotten Souls"
• 17: "1,400 BloodShards"
• 18: "Ancient Hellfire Amulet of Strength"
• 19: "Four Tome of Set Dungeon Pages from your class."
• 20: "Ancient Puzzle Ring, 50 Khanduran Rune, 50 Caldeum Nightshade, 50 Arreat War Tapestry, 50 Corrupted Angel Flesh, 50 Westmarch Holy Water"
• 21: "500 Death's Breaths, 300 Forgotten Souls"
• 22: "1,500 BloodShards"
• 23: "Whisper of Atonement Rank 125"
• 24: "Any Augmented Weapon"
• 25: " Staff of Herding"
• 26: "1,600 BloodShards"
• Potion 1: "55 Primordial Ashes"
• Potion 2: "110 Primordial Ashes"
• Potion 3: "165 Primordial Ashes"

After you unlock all 26 Seals and three Potions, you will receive a newcosmetic set of "wings" — Diablo's back spikes.

Primordial Ashes have been added in Patch 2.7.5 / Season 28 as a newresource material, used exclusively in the Primal recipe in Kanai's Cube (aswell as the Legendary Potion Power unlocks, but that's only for the duration ofSeason 28). Primordial Ashes are obtained by salvaging items of Primalquality (red bordered), which only become available after finishing a soloGreater Rift level 70. Each Primal item salvages into 55 PrimordialAshes.

The Primal Item recipe in Kanai's Cube allows you to upgrade any non-craftedLegendary item to a Primal Item for 100 Primordial Ashes. Only oneupgraded Primal Item may be worn at a time and upgraded Primal Items do notretain the properties of the Legendary Item that was used. New affixes arerolled for all upgraded Primal Items.

Monks are the sole class with skill changes in this patch. They all revolvearound the generator-based, Raiment set-reliant build. Unfortunately, the setit*elf is not revised to a state that makes it competitive with other Monkoptions.

• Combination Strike: Each Spirit Generator you use increases thedamage of your other Spirit Generators by 100% for 10 seconds. (Up from 10%and 3 seconds, respectively)
• Crippling Wave: Every third hit also dazes enemies within 11 yards,slowing their movement speed by 30% and attack speed by 20% for 10 seconds.(Up from 3 seconds)
• Concussion Rune: Enemies hit by deal 20% lessdamage for 10 seconds. (Up from 3 seconds)
• Breaking Wave Rune: Enemies hit by Crippling Wave take 10%additional damage from all attacks for 10 seconds. (Up from 3seconds)
• Deadly Reach Foresight Rune: Every third hit also increases thedamage of all of your attacks by 15% for 10 seconds. (Up from 3seconds)
• Way of the Hundred Fists Assimilation Rune: Each enemy hit with thethird hit increases your damage by 5% for 10 seconds. (Up from 3seconds)

Patch 2.7.5 made a bunch of changes to class sets and legendary items, mostnotably reworking the Natalya set for Demon Hunters, as well as updating Barb'sHorded of the Ninety Savages set, DH's Unhallowed Essence set, Monk's Patternsof Justice and Raiment of a Thousand Storms sets, the Necro's Masquerade of theBurning Carnival set, and the Wizard's Typhon's Veil set.

• Horde of the Ninety Savages (6-piece bonus): Frenzy deals 2,000%increased damage per stack. (Up from 1,000%)

• Chanon Bolter: Your Spike Traps lure enemies to them and deal150-200% increased damage. Enemies may be taunted once every 10 seconds.(Changed from "Spike Traps lure enemies to them. Enemies may be tauntedonce every 12-16 seconds.")
• The Demon's Demise: Each blast from Spike Trap will damage allenemies again after 1 second and deals 150-200% increased damage. (Changedfrom "The blast from Spike Trap will damage all enemies again after onesecond.")
• Natalya's Slayer: Increases Spike Trap Damage by 10 -15%.(Changed from "Increases Rain of Vengeance Damage by 20-25%.")
• Natalya's Vengeance (2-piece bonus): Hitting an enemy summons a Spike Trap if it is on your action bar. Each Spike Trapdetonation restores 1 Discipline. (Changed from "Reduce the cooldown ofRain of Vengeance by 4 seconds when you hit with a Hatred-generating attack orHatred-spending attack.")
• Natalya's Vengeance (4-piece bonus): Laying a Spike Trapgrants 60% damage reduction. The duration of this bonus is always equal to thenumber of already laid traps in seconds. (Changed from "Rain of Vengeancedeals 100% increased damage.")
• Natalya's Vengeance (6-piece bonus): Spike Traps deal 10,000%increased damage, and each consecutive blast from the detonation chain reactionwill deal 10% more damage than the previous blast. (Changed from "Aftercasting Rain of Vengeance, deal 14,000% increased damage and take 60% reduceddamage for 10 seconds.")
• The Shadow's Mantle (2-piece bonus): While equipped with a meleeweapon, the damage of your Bolas, Chakram, Fan of Knives,and Impale is increased by 6,000%. (Changed from "While equippedwith a melee weapon, all damage is increased by 6,000%.")
• Trag'Oul Coils: Spike Traps gain the Scatter Rune, aredeployed twice as fast, and deal 150-200% increased damage. (Changed from"Spike Traps gain the Impaling Spines Rune and are deployed twice asfast.")
• Unhallowed Essence (6-piece bonus): Hatred generators, Vengeance attacks, and Multishot deal 1700% increased damageper point of discipline the Demon Hunter currently has. (Up from350%)

• Patterns of Justice (6-piece bonus): Hitting with Tempest Rush while Sweeping Wind is active increases the size of Sweeping Wind as well and increases all damage dealt by 20,000%. (Upfrom 15,000%)
• Raiment of Thousand Storms (4-piece bonus): Dashing Strike spends 25Spirit but refunds a Charge when it does. (Down from 75)

• Masquerade of the Burning Carnival (6-piece bonus): Bone Spear deals 9,000% increased damage. Simulacrums gaintriple this bonus. (Up from 6,000% and no Simulacrum bonuses)

• The Typhon's Veil (6-piece-bonus): Hydras deal 4,000%increased damage for each Hydra head alive. (Up from 2,000%)