Diablo 4 Season 7: Paragon Leveling Guide

Jonas Author

Created - 07.02.2025 Updated - 10.02.2025

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Hitting the max level in Diablo 4 is just the beginning. As most players will tell you, paragon leveling is the start of a long journey. This Diablo 4 Season 7 Paragon leveling guide is focused on helping you reach the maximum levels of the board with ease. We know you want to max out your character quickly!

A huge part of this guide relies a lot on having good gear and items. If you want to get what we’re talking about you should buy D4 Items to quicken the journey!

XP Increasers to Run in Diablo 4 Season 7

When it comes to farming experience efficiently in Diablo 4 Season 7, there are a few things you need to have in place before you even begin. Maximizing your XP gain is crucial for leveling up quickly, and there are multiple ways to ensure you're making the most out of every run. Here’s what you should be using to boost your XP gains and optimize your grind.

Season Blessings – Earn of Aggression

The first and most important XP booster you need to set up is your Season Blessings, specifically the Earn of Aggression. This has always been a major boost to the experience you gain, and it's the very first thing you should be upgrading as soon as possible.

If you're already in the endgame, chances are you’ve got this maxed out by now, but if not, prioritize it immediately. The more XP you earn per run, the faster you'll progress through the Paragon levels.

Elixirs – Always Use Tier 2

Next up, you need to be running Elixirs at all times. This season, there are two different types you’ll come across: Tier 1 and Tier 2.

However, there’s no real reason to bother with Tier 1, as Tier 2 provides slightly more experience—an 8% boost. Every bit of XP gain matters, so always go with the stronger version whenever possible.

You can craft these Elixirs at any Alchemist. Just head to the crafting menu, and under the Craft Tabs, you’ll see options for Basic and Advanced. You want to go for Advanced, as that’s where the stronger Elixirs are found.

Incense

Another thing to always have running is Incense, which you’ll see in use throughout all the XP farming clips. Incense gives you a 5% increased experience boost, and while this may not seem like much on its own, every little bit stacks up over time.

Now, keep in mind that stacking multiple Incense buffs won’t increase your XP gain—you can only benefit from one XP boost at a time.

While stacking them can be useful for Pit pushing and other tough content, it won’t do anything extra for your XP farming. So, just run a single Incense for the additional 5% XP and keep moving.

Both Tier 2 Elixirs and Incense last for 30 minutes, making them perfect for synchronized farming sessions. Since they have the same duration, it's easy to refresh them together and avoid downtime while grinding.

Unfortunately, you’re going to have to grind for a lot of D4 items to keep your storage full of these so start farming ASAP.

Drought of Whispers – Seasonal Elixir

The Drought of Whispers is this season’s unique Elixir, and while it doesn’t directly increase XP, it’s still something you’ll want to have on hand. This Elixir greatly increases your chances of finding Forgotten Altars, which can provide valuable buffs.

Additionally, it boosts your odds of obtaining Fugitive Heads, which are useful if you're engaging with that particular seasonal content.

If you’re running dungeons, always have the Drought of Whispers active—you never know when you’ll come across a Forgotten Altar, and having this Elixir running ensures you’re maximizing your opportunities.

Just to clarify, though, this doesn’t boost your XP gain—it’s simply an important consumable to keep active for additional benefits while farming.

Rootholds – Not the Best for XP Farming

Rootholds are a new feature introduced in Diablo 4 Season 7, designed to provide a dense and action-packed Head Rotten hunting experience. These areas are absolutely packed with enemies, and with such high elite density, you might expect them to be an incredible spot for XP farming. Unfortunately, that’s not the case.

Despite their elite-packed nature, Rootholds simply don’t provide efficient XP gain. A single run takes about five minutes of non-stop fighting, but the real issue is the overwhelming amount of loot you’ll collect.

This excessive loot means you’ll need to stop, exit, sort through your inventory, and then go back in—sometimes twice in a single run.

This constant need for inventory management slows down your XP efficiency significantly, making Rootholds a poor choice for leveling.

Instead, there are far better alternatives, such as Growth Tribute runs in Undercity or Nightmare Dungeons with specific modifiers, which offer XP bonuses just for being there.

Rootholds do have value, but it’s for loot farming, not for XP. If you’re looking for a solid source of gear, then they are worth considering. However, if your goal is to level up as quickly as possible, skip Rootholds and focus on more rewarding activities.

Undercity & Growth Tribute – Not the Best for Endgame XP

The Undercity is in the same place as before, and it comes with its own unique feature—the Growth Tribute. This system rewards you with bonus XP based on your Attunement Rank. If you manage to reach Attunement Rank 1 or higher, you’ll gain additional experience as part of your rewards.

The mechanics of the Growth Tribute are simple:

• Complete various challenges to increase your timer and improve the final rewards.
• Fight through waves of enemies and complete objectives.
• At the end, you’ll face a boss—defeating it grants a large burst of XP.

At first glance, this might seem like a decent XP farm, especially in the early levels. However, once you hit endgame and start farming Paragon points, the Undercity falls behind compared to better XP farming methods.

Is the Undercity Worth Running?

While it's not the best place for XP, the Undercity still has a purpose. There are certain rewards that make it worth visiting, even if you’re not running it for XP.

• Growth Tribute Rewards – While not the most efficient XP farm, Growth Tributes offer unique rewards that might be valuable for your build.
• Chance to Find Uniques & Mythic Uniques – If you’re farming for specific uniques or even Mythic Uniques, then the Undercity is worth considering.
• Rune & Ancestral Gear Hunting – If you’re searching for specific runes or Ancestral items, this can be a decent location for loot farming.

At the end of the day, the Undercity is a key part of endgame content, but when it comes to XP farming, it’s simply not efficient enough. If your priority is Paragon leveling, there are better options that will provide faster XP gains with more relevant rewards.

Nightmare Dungeons – A Surprisingly Strong XP Source

When it comes to efficient XP farming, Nightmare Dungeons remain one of the top choices in Diablo 4 Season 7, and with the right modifiers, they can be even better.

With Nightmare Sigils, you’ll encounter different affixes, but there are only two that really matter:

• Ancestral Favor – Grants a 10% XP boost, making it the one you want.
• Gold Find – This has no impact on XP, so you can completely ignore it.

The key to making Nightmare Dungeons effective is speed. You need to be clearing them as quickly as possible to maximize your XP gain.

With an optimized build, it’s possible to clear a dungeon in about 3 minutes. Running these efficiently allowed for a three-level gain in about 25–30 minutes, which is very competitive with other XP farming methods.

Surprisingly, Nightmare Dungeons performed about the same as another major Season 7 endgame activity—Headhunts—which many expected to be the dominant XP farming method. If you’re able to run through Nightmare Dungeons efficiently, never stopping, this is a very strong option for XP grinding.

Aside from being a solid source of XP, Nightmare Dungeons are also one of the best ways to farm Masterworking materials. Even if you're not focusing purely on XP, you might end up running these dungeons just for the extra resources.

This makes them an excellent all-around choice—not only are you leveling up at a competitive rate, but you're also stocking up on materials needed for endgame gear upgrades.

Headhunts – A Seasonal XP Powerhouse

The new seasonal activity, Headhunts, adds a unique gameplay loop that players can take advantage of. These events are time-limited and appear four at a time across the map. The goal is simple:

• Hunt and defeat powerful enemies.
• Collect loot, Grim Favors, and seasonal resources.
• Chain Headhunts together for efficient farming.

Since there are always four active at any given time, the most efficient way to farm XP is to bounce between them as quickly as possible.

To test its XP efficiency, a full 30-minute Headhunt session was run, completing all four zones while also completing as many Whispers as possible. The result was a constant loop of elite and boss fights, allowing for massive XP gains while simultaneously farming key resources like:

• Rot (important for crafting and upgrading)
• Seasonal gems
• Drops from elite enemies

This method not only generated a ton of XP, but also provided tons of loot and important materials, making it one of the most rewarding seasonal activities to farm. Headhunts are arguably one of the best new features this season and are worth the try.

Comparing Headhunts to Nightmare Dungeons

After running four zones in 30 minutes, the XP gain was nearly identical to Nightmare Dungeons—three full Paragon levels in the same timeframe.

This was unexpected, as Headhunts were thought to be the most efficient XP farming method this season. However, because Nightmare Dungeons also provide Masterworking materials and dungeon rewards (including Forgotten Altars), both are viable options depending on your needs.

The Verdict:

• If you want more overall rewards (loot, crafting materials, seasonal drops), prioritize Headhunts.
• If you need Masterworking materials, Nightmare Dungeons are still a solid alternative for XP grinding.

Bonus Tips – Maximizing Whisper Efficiency

While farming Headhunts and Whispers, efficiency is key. The best approach is to stack multiple objectives together, ensuring you're completing two or even three Whispers at once. Here are a few things to keep in mind:

• Ignore Wisp Whispers – They’re too slow and inefficient. Instead, rush straight to the boss, kill it fast, and move on.
• Combine Patrols & Tangled Whispers – Following a Patrol route while completing a Tangled Whisper allows you to stack objectives.
• Engage in Harbinger & Herb Gathering – Along the way, pick up herbs and take out any Harbingers for additional rewards.
• Kill as Many Head Rotting Enemies as Possible – This naturally progresses the Purge the Rot objective.
• Utilize Shepherd & Dispel – These often appear along your route, making them easy to complete passively.

If you ever find yourself only completing one Whisper at a time, drop that zone immediately and move on. You should always aim to stack multiple Whispers together for efficiency.

Leaving a zone with two or three unfinished Whispers is fine if the remaining ones are too slow—it’s always better to move on than waste time on low-value tasks. Using the best build for your chosen class is definitely recommended for this activity.

The Pits – A Shockingly Strong XP Farming Method

When it comes to XP farming in Diablo 4 Season 7, The Pits stand out as one of the top options, potentially the best, depending on your character’s current strength and progression.

The key to making The Pits an efficient XP grind is speed. You need to clear these dungeons as fast as possible, meaning you should always aim for the highest tier that allows for quick and efficient clears.

For example, Tier 110 may seem tempting, but if it slows down your runs, it’s not worth it. Instead, you should be focusing on the highest tier where you can consistently clear the dungeon in 3–4 minutes.

In this case, Tier 90 turned out to be the sweet spot, allowing for a fast and efficient run. Completing a full Pits run in about 4 minutes resulted in earning a full Paragon point, which is a huge XP gain in a short amount of time.

The Pits are very hard for the unprepared. We suggest getting a lot of affordable D4 gold so that you can begin getting good gear first.

Running The Pits doesn’t immediately guarantee a quick way to maxing out the Paragon Board. The efficiency of The Pits comes from two major sources of XP:

1. Dense Packs of Mobs – These provide a steady flow of XP throughout the run.
2. Boss Kill XP Burst – After defeating the boss at the end, you receive a massive burst of XP, making each run extremely rewarding.

While The Pits are an amazing XP source, they do require:

• A strong build that allows for fast-paced combat.
• High movement speed to clear each section quickly.
• Good game knowledge to maximize efficiency and avoid unnecessary delays.

If you meet these criteria, The Pits are one of the absolute best ways to farm XP right now. If not, you’re probably going to have to work a bit more.

Infernal Hordes – One of the Best XP Farms & Loot Sources

Another highly recommended XP farm in Season 7 is Infernal Hordes, which offers insane rewards while remaining one of the fastest ways to earn XP.

Infernal Hordes consist of three different compasses with wave caps at 6, 8, and 10 waves. Naturally, you want to aim for wave 10 to maximize XP gains and rewards.

A full Infernal Horde 10 run took about 14 minutes, resulting in a gain of three full Paragon points.

By running two of these back-to-back (which fits within the 30-minute duration of Elixirs and Incense), it’s possible to gain six Paragon levels in just half an hour, meaning you could potentially gain 12 levels in an hour—a massive XP gain.

Infernal Hordes offer very similar XP efficiency to The Pits, but they also provide much better loot rewards. Other than the good XP, there are a few more reasons to run Infernal Hordes.

• The final chest at the end rewards Uniques, powerful Ancestral items, and other valuable drops.
• You can spend your remaining currency to open material chests, which provide Masterworking materials and a huge supply of gem fragments.
• This is one of the best ways to farm the massive amount of gems needed for crafting ultimate gems this season.

Since gem fragments are a crucial resource in Season 7 for crafting ultimate gems, Infernal Hordes may be the most important farm for anyone looking to optimize their endgame setup.

Final Thoughts – What’s the Best XP Farming Method?

After testing multiple XP farming methods, here’s where they stand:

• Infernal Hordes – Arguably the best overall due to huge XP gains, top-tier loot, and gem fragments.
• The Pits – Extremely fast XP farming with great glyph XP rewards, but requires strong builds and doesn’t provide the same loot variety as Infernal Hordes.
• Nightmare Dungeons – Solid XP farm, especially with Ancestral Favor, and great for Masterworking materials.
• Headhunts – Strong seasonal activity, offering comparable XP to Nightmare Dungeons with better overall rewards.

For pure XP grinding, Infernal Hordes and The Pits are the clear winners. However, depending on what materials or loot you need, you may still want to mix in Nightmare Dungeons or Headhunts.

Opening Up The Paragon Board

If you’re still far from opening up your Paragon Board this season, then here’s a quick guide to get you to level 60 immediately.

1. Skipping the Vessel of Hatred Campaign – Should You?

The biggest question at the start of Season 7 is whether you should skip the Vessel of Hatred campaign. While you can power through it in a few hours if you skip cutscenes and dialogue, it’s not the best way to level quickly.

The campaign isn’t a bad method, but there are more efficient ways to gain XP while progressing toward your long-term goals.

2. Headhunts & Whispers of the Dead

Season 7 introduces Headhunts, a new sub-zone takeover event tied to the Tree of Whispers. These events include new and improved Whispers of the Dead activities, filled with high-density enemy spawns and increased rewards.

Since open-world difficulty doesn’t scale with player count, the more people involved, the more efficient these events become. On the PTR, Headhunts provided incredible XP, but monster density was slightly reduced before release.

Even with that adjustment, they are still expected to be the fastest way to level—unless density changes drastically. If that happens, Hell Tides will likely become the backup method, but for now, Headhunts remain the priority.

The strategy is simple: complete Whispers, collect rewards, and ignore bosses unless necessary. Most leveling builds aren’t optimized for single-target fights, so focusing on Whisper objectives is more efficient.

If you run out of Whispers in one Headhunt zone, simply move to another active zone—there will always be multiple available.

3. The Season Questline & Coven’s Favor

The season questline is directly tied to Coven’s Favor, the new Season 7 reputation system. Completing it unlocks witchcraft powers, new abilities only available through this system. Additionally, Whispers of the Dead caches provide gear upgrades to speed up leveling.

4. Rootholds – Worth Running?

Rootholds are new mini-dungeons that can drop Sigils from Silent Chests or Whispers. They are fast, highly dense, and provide solid rewards. However, they always include a boss at the end, so whether you should run them depends on your single-target damage.

If boss fights slow you down, stick to Headhunts. If you can kill bosses quickly, Rootholds can be worth running when you encounter them.

5. Difficulty & World Tier

Start on Normal difficulty—there’s no reason to push for harder settings early on. Around level 15, you can try Hard, but if kill times double, drop back down.

Most XP comes from event completion, not monster kills, so speed is more important than difficulty. Higher tiers should only be used if they don’t slow you down.

Also remember that the tier list for classes this season is fairly different. You might have some difficulty with your favorite class, so make sure to learn the meta at least.

6. Class Mechanic Quests

A major change in Season 7 is that class-specific mechanics now auto-unlock if you’ve completed the quest in a previous season. If you’re playing a class for the first time, you’ll still need to complete the level 15 quest, but if you’ve done it before, the mechanic will unlock automatically at the appropriate level.

That said, completing the class quest still provides useful loot, including class-specific legendaries. If your build feels weak, consider doing it for gear upgrades—unless you’re a Druid, since their questline takes significantly longer.

7. XP Boosts – Elixirs & Season Blessings

Always have an Elixir active. Basic Elixirs provide 5% bonus XP, while Advanced Elixirs offer 8%. This bonus might seem small, but it adds up significantly over time.

Additionally, Season Blessings grant XP boosts via Smoldering Ashes from the Battle Pass. Prioritize the XP bonus first to speed up leveling.

8. Level 50–60 – Preparing for Endgame

Between level 50 and 60, XP gains accelerate, but gear scales rapidly, meaning you may fall behind in power if you don’t upgrade gear. Before jumping into Torment difficulty or high-tier Pits, make sure to upgrade your build around level 60 to ensure a smoother transition into endgame content.

Max Out Your Paragon Board Now!

Of course, getting all of the Paragon points for your character isn’t enough. You’ll still need good gear. Stock up on D4 gold whenever you can so that you’re always prepared for the next major patch.